The biggest concern I see is that people and even family I know who support Trump just don’t care what he does. Some excuses are that all politicians lie otherwise they wouldn’t be elected, or that others have done it, etc. He’s doing what I want so I don’t care. The democrats are socialists is a major theme and it doesn’t work.
I am truly concerned for the future of this country. If we end up with a majority of people that continue to put people like Trump in power we will lose our country to very dangerous selfish people who will put a new form of fear into our society that may not be able to be removed. It’ll probably look a lot like an autocracy by the wealthy who have no accountability and can do whatever they please.
And Trump is just a symptom of the problem. It’s amazing to me that he hasn’t been removed. His constant attacks on our society and to anyone that opposes him with the active support of Fox News and right wing media is akin to religious cult. They don’t care about truth and are totally pushing political agendas and justify it as providing their version of reality tainted by their political goals.
I’m uncertain this country will survive the coming decades.
One thing is obvious about Trump. He and his supporters don’t care about the republic or democracy. It’s currently a tool to them that mostly benefits them. And when it stops benefiting them they go around it or attempt to destroy it. This must stop or we all lose.
204
Let's take the Trump name out of this situation altogether. If a foreign power like Russia helped elect a President who was bound to them in some way, wouldn't his/her first and immediate priority be to eradicate or stymie an investigation into this matter?
83
Thank you, NY Times, for your superb reporting. Democracy depends on a free and robust press. I'm proud to be a subscriber.
134
Thanks to the New York Times for this excellent reporting. As a retired federal agent and a paying NYT subscriber, I applaud your continued efforts to uphold the good name of my former colleagues, and the difficult and often thankless work they do.
106
America has been going through a long national nightmare, but Trump isn’t the bogey man. It’s the disgruntled Democrats and their enablers in the press that cast a shadow over everything. “Russian collusion” is their catchword, but while we are in the grips of this national nightmare, the world is passing us by. There is Russian collusion alright but it’s with China. Look at the map and the vast stretch of their combined territories. While we remain caught up in this national paralysis, China is already making deals with Russia and gaining a strategic advantage which we are just throwing away. Trump is trying to turn this situation around by dealing with Putin and giving him the minimal respect owed to a leader of a superpower whose decisions and policies affect our own interests. But no, the Democrats are screaming “Russian collusion!” so we will end up forfeiting what might be our last opportunity to counter China with whatever influence with the Russians we may still have. Someday we will wake up from this long, self-induced nightmare, but I fear it might be too late.
7
Trump ran his business surrounded by yes men who he played off against each other. He was a man no one ever said no to.
It was his way or no way. Never been a politician before becoming President and from the outside looking in nothing has changed. People surely cannot have been so naive as to not know what they were voting for a man with no understanding of democracy and how it works was what you saw and as it turns out what you got.
36
The health of this nation depends upon upholding laws that do not allow criminal activity. And when someone has clearly broken the law, they should be held accountable....there should be no exceptions....This country has a long dark history of allowing those in power, whether it is local power or the office of the Presidency, to go unchecked. Past Presidents have been impeached for far less serious crimes than the multitude of crimes that have likely been committed by Donald Trump. It will be a huge relief to the majority of Americans, and the world at large, if Donald Trump is locked away for the duration of his life. And anyone knowingly helping to subvert, derail or aid criminal activity deserves to be held accountable too.
41
This was an excellent article. Impartial, factual and well written. I'm glad that I picked today of all days to subscribe.
31
These Congressional Trump apologists and protectors are complicit in his clearly criminal activities and therefore should be, when the time comes 1) Unceremoniously tossed from office and 2) Prosecuted to the full extent of what's left of the law.
43
It’s becoming clear that new AG Barr will release only a partial report from Mueller with all Trump’s criminal actions removed. He gave himself that freedom in his confirmation hearings, and Trump was relaxed today as he kept referring to Barr as a “tremendous man...a really tremendous man”. The fix is in and the report will be buried until the Democrats figure out a way to release it.
36
After 2 years of searching behind every door and under every rock, the deep state can find nothing....nada....zilch. I realize that it is very frustrating to not be able to remove Trump and keep him from the marching away from globalism, but it is what it is. Everyone has a right, including Trump to voice their displeasure and even launch a defense. Hillary lost, Trump is president and things are getting better in our nation. Now we need to pull together and stop listening to the lame news services who continually try to stir the pot and form public opinion. We need to protect our southern border with an enforcement system including a WALL and then move on to other important things. MAGA
4
And the right wing's newest argument apparently is that the extent of Trump's crime and corruption is so multifarious, so extensive, that the investigations should simply be shut down, as David B. Rivkin Jr. and Elizabeth Price Foley argue in The Wall Street Journal's opinion pages ("Stop the Impeachment Fishing Expedition"), so Trump will not be distracted from his responsibilities as president!
The depth of moral depravity, intellectual bankruptcy and unadulterated chutzpah displayed by the Republican party is simply breathtaking.
63
Two years of talking and he's still wreaking havoc on this country. We are a laughing stock and Trump's chaos is making it easier for anyone to come in and blindside us. Now he's getting a billion dollars too much to build a wall we don't need. That money could be spent on health, education, and repairing/rebuilding our infrastructure. He lies openly, cheats, steals, and mocks citizens of this country. Al Capone was jailed for tax issues, why isn't Trump? Why is he still in office? The country is getting worse each day of his Reign of Ignorance. Where's Muller? Get the charlatan out of office before it's too late.
39
The next few weeks should be fascinating at the very least. Hopefully we will see some new "unprecedented" actions in holding Trump criminally responsible for his despicable criminal actions.
I doubt that he will be able to lie his way out of this with his mantras of "fake news" and "no collusion".
NO ONE is above the law. If he's culpable, indict him and make him testify under oath; that will show whether he is innocent or not.
26
Good luck to Flynn? How about the rest of us?
4
The only things that can stop a strong U.S. economy "are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations."
Seems as though economic policy could somehow be manipulated based on the status of those investigations, or am I misinterpreting this Trump statement?
3
I am tired of watching this panoply of criminals operating unchecked in the White House. There is clear evidence that Trump has obstructed justice in every possible way. There is clear evidence of his campaign's collusion with Russia. What more do we need?
47
From reading of these comments it sounds to me that most of you just want ot dissolve the union known as the United Police States of America. Not to mention, Trump is generating so much income for newspapers and news media, what will you all do when he's gone?
The only collusion that happened was between Hillary Clinton and the Democrat leadership to keep Bernie Sanders out.
5
Note how trump doesn't call out Rachel Maddow as being fake news.
8
At this point I’m not inclined to want to see Trump around any longer even if he can’t be indicted, or they don’t have a criminal case that is solid. He has done more than enough to prove who he is, and his propensity to cheat, lie, and a flaunt morally bankrupt, rotten, perverted mind, is plenty of proof that he is not us, and should not represent us. We as Americans deserve much more, and this administration has failed to deliver. If you have doubts about that, enjoy doing your taxes, that alone should wake you up. If you are rich, of course that doesn’t apply, but you also could do better. No amount of money is worth tolerating Trump.
32
I seem to recall the Hypocrite in Chief stating loudly and proudly about Hillary's emails essentially, 'if she has nothing to hide then she shouldn't be afraid of having them released'. If Trump has nothing to hide he should cooperate with the authorities, but apparently when Hillary's being investigated then law enforcement is great but when he's being investigated it's the deep state trying to take over. He is systematically destroying the balance of power that the founding father's put into place, attacking the free press, the intelligence community, and anyone else who disagrees with him will be attacked in as vindictive manner as he can manage. He is a disgrace, and the fact that the Republican Senate and Congress enabled this is shameful and traitorous.
34
Trump is compromised and a threat to our national security every moment he remains in office.
Unfit, unworthy, unacceptable.
41
Future FBI buildings ought to be named for Andrew McCabe.
25
Trump is a witting Russian asset. He is not motivated by "kompromat." He has always been motivated by carrots, not sticks. His demeanor around Vladimir Putin is adulatory, not fearful. He admires authoritarians because he is one. Putin is the wealthiest human being and the most powerful dictator in the world. He has been in power for 20 years and has an 80 percent approval in his own country. He doesn’t tweet about detractors, he makes them go away. Becoming the totalitarian leader of an entire country that you and your cronies can loot is the ultimate “long con.” Putin is Trump’s “ego ideal.” He is everything Trump aspires to be.
27
Thanks to the New York Times for this report. It is one of the reasons why we need a free press.
This president is really president only for his base and for the interests of himself and his family. His monomania about "the wall" is confounding, in the face of evidence that what is needed for real border security is not a wall but a combination of technology and personnel, perhaps augmented in some places by increased physical barriers. Equally confounding are his dismissal of science, his fondness for dictators, his continuing enrichment of his own family at the expense of the public, and on, and on.
We need someone else in the Oval Office. 2020 cannot come soon enough.
71
I am an honest taxpaying white male with a degree in finance from a highly ranked college. UT Austin. I lived in NYC during the 70's and spent 30 years in the stock brokerage industry.
I remember all the shenanigans that he did with the casinos and thought he'd be censured, fined or jailed by the NASD, SEC or the Attorney General of NY or NJ.
Either they were wowed with his celebrity lifestyle or figured he'd flame out. But NO it is like he has a cloak of invisibility similar to what Lamar Cranston from the radio drama series of The Shadow in the 1930's and 40's had.
Whenever he donned it he would cloud evil doers minds and confuse them.
It is somewhat ironic that Al Baldwin played the title role in the forgettable movie The Shadow that aired in reruns on a tv movie channel this past week.
I am now 70 but have not voted in 40 years. Primarily because I find neither party presents honest or trust worthy candidates. This includes Mayors, representatives of local state and national offices and the presidency.
I do remember being in Terlingua Texas during chili cookoff that attracted 20,000 revelers. U.S. Senator John Tower who had a reputation for pawing women man for pawing women as much as LBJ did. Within the first hour JT who stood 5'6" on his toes was drunk as a skunk and his aides put him in an RV and got him out of Brewster County before he outraged any of the other drunken hordes. Bush 41 tried to make him Defense Sec. But the Senate rejected it
13
Compared to some of the reader's comments this piece has provoked, Animal Farm is a walk in the park.
9
Who are these anonymous sources that the NYT reporters use over and over to support their revelations about the criminal that currently occupies the White House? They must come forward to save the country. This miscreant must never get a chance at a second term and if all the Dems have is Bernie Sanders, a bunch of coastal liberals, and a midwestern unknown, we are in real trouble. Hard to imagine that tRump still has a third of the country behind him and 85% of Republicans in his corner. This is what we are up against. Please sources, come forward and save us!!!!
11
@Grace
Sources not for attribution are like moles. Once exposed they have no further value. Best to leave them in place; can't have everything.
2
let's call "conservative news media" what they really are -- right wing propagandists
33
NYT reporters and editorial board have laid out, in print, what Rachel Maddow, MSNBC, has been reporting doggedly for two+ years. Good job.
41
Trump and his son are traitors. Plain and simple.
It's time the GOP got that into their heads.
37
I think the GOP is with them. The hijackers are in the highest offices of the lands and looking to recreate our society in their image or destroy it if we don’t conform to their will.
10
@Ben
At this point the entire Trump family and the administration are traitors to America . Just as you stated. Mueller knows the truth and despite Mr. Barr thinking he is so important that he is going to make the decision on whether the report is released. A conservative who seems to forget the American public deserves to know what the president and his extended family have done to Democracy. When Trump is gone ship them all to Moscow as the special guests of Putin.
12
Why does anyone still support Trump? Power, racism, sexism, anger, fear, and idiocy. Maybe I am missing some. Trump could be the most dangerous man in the world.
29
@Anthony
For the same reasons people supported Bill Clinton and his wife, who was even worse.
1
@Anthony
Why does anyone still support Trump? Because not everyone believes everything they read or hear about him.
3
Considering who Trump does NOT attack (his big daddy Vladdy Putin, his bff Kim Jong Un, Mohammed bin Salman bin Salman a lSaud, Rodrigo Duerte, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and all of the nationalist skinhead white "supermacists" we saw in Charlottesville whom he claimed were "very clean cut" and that many of them were "very fine people")...
... I'd actually prefer to be among the groups he's attacked.
29
Dear NYT:
Impressive chart, but deceptive.
Instead of merely toting up Trump's "attacks" on the press and prosecutors in tabula rosa fashion, it would be much more llluminating to also overlay the MSM's own attacks on Trump during the same two-year period.
I'll bet a dollar that the vast majority of these alleged "attacks" were classic Trump "counter-punches," as he is wont to do.
The Times' failure to include the media's attacks on Trump, as well, provides a biased and misleading graphic -- like what you would see in a propaganda video if you edited out all the punches thrown by one fighter (the media) and only showed the other's punches.
A more fulsome chart would likely depict -- not some context-free attempt at obstruction or intimidation -- but President Trump exercising his own First Amendment rights to speak out against what he perceives as unfair and unfounded partisan media attacks, as well as a subversion of our intel and DOJ agencies to overturn a lawful presidential election.
Is The Times willing to tell the whole story, free of bias, and not just package and repackage its own aggrieved anti-Trump view?
8
@Jorge What you consider attacks on trump are reports on facts and events. Institutions like the NYTimes and WAPO are and have for a very long time been in the business of reporting on what has happened and sometimes will project what can or could happen in the future given a set of facts. Mr Trump on the other hand flies off the handle with little to no facts condemming poeple who are lawfully exercising their first ammendment right and informing the public. Unlike Fuax Noise, infowar, breitbart, they report based on fact not on talking points that are part of a larger propaganda campaign. There is a huge difference.
40
@Mike
I would agree with your "just the facts, these are professional journalists" assumption in another time, on subjects other than Trump.
But quite simply, The Times and other MSM have lost their minds. The last two years has seen an unprecedented deluge of negative attacks -- 90% of all Trump stories are negative.
These partisan narratives against Trump (as a racist, a traitor, etc.) are generally fed by anonymous Ds and Deep State bureaucrats who felt cheated by Trump's victory, and who deeply resent his "clean out the swamp" messaging.
So let's see the attacks -- or if you prefer, stories that Trump objects to as false -- and draw our own conclusions as to motive.
4
It’s hard to understand why there aren’t crowds bearing torches and pitchforks at the gates of the White House and the doors of the Capitol. It’s time to express the proper outrage directly until DJT is removed from office.
31
@Bruce Kaplant
When Barr refuses to release the report we will all be at the White Housd demanding the full report. No more hiding the truth about these traitors.
10
Ultimately the decision to prosecute Mr. Trump is a political one, and that includes impeachment or a criminal indictment (or being slapped for general creepiness). My only hope is that the entire Trump Period (R primary through the end of his presidency) is anomalous; the country will be strained to excess with more drama like this. How do you prosecute creepy? sleazy? dirtbaggery? The President is a miasma.
10
Don't mean to be crude here, but metaphorically speaking, let me remind my fellow baby boomers of a phrase we learned long ago..."He who smelled it, dealt it." This administration knows it stinks, but keeps blaming the dog for the smell.
16
Let's see the chart on how many consecutive days MSM have run an attack on Trump. Like McCabe and Comey, MSM will destroy their own credibility just to get at Trump.
5
@TD In a extreme right wing dream will they distroy their credibility. They have light years to go down to reach the depths depravity of Faux Noise, (aka Fox news), Breitbart, Info wars and Rash Limbaugh.
6
The Nixon years all over again, how sickening. One way or the other, the Trump years will pass, that's the only comfort I feel.
15
Donald Trump has always placed his self interest above anyone or anything else. That includes the Rule of Law, the Constitution, & the interests of the American people.
17
Self defense is still allowed in this country as far as I know.
Will unbiased reporting ever return to our republic?
Doubtful in my lifetime or that of my peers. It has been a sad downward spiral over the last 2 decades to watch our media institutions pick and choose our politicians of the moment. Raising up those they cheer while degrading, misaligning, and brazenly bashing those they do not agree with.
5
Mobsters say the safest place to hide is just out in the open. Donnie is following the same mob rules and it's collusion and obstruction in plain sight.
29
The pictures and the article make this seem like a game. This team, that team.
I guess we could conceive of it in that way, except that SO MANY are suffering because of this "game." It as been obvious from nearly day 1 that Trump is unfit and is a grifter, except that he is not playing at a small scale. He is running this country into the ground.
I want this to be over. Today. I want Mueller's report out and Trump impeached and removed from office. He is a complete embarrassment and a danger to our country and future.
That is all. That is obvious. We are all suffering from him.
21
Thank you for yet another attempt to wake us from this nightmare but ultimately, I fear it is futile. It is too late. I've come to this realization slowly. I've been the metaphorical frog in the pot of slowly warming water. The declaration of a "National Emergency" by the very mentally unstable man in the W.H. coupled with his disjointed, unhinged diatribe announcing it have left me in despair.
I realize now that not a single Republican will stand up to him. No one will save us and we have no one to blame but ourselves. What do we expect really, when we've turned him into a source of entertainment? Nightly, we laugh at the late night comics. His daily tweets are like a shot of adrenaline to a junkie. We're entertained by his latest insults, his ongoing feuds and his paranoid rants. And while we laugh at him, we never even notice the water going from a simmer to a boil - until it is too late. This is beyond politics. Why won't anyone say what is so obviously true; the President of the United States is seriously mentally ill.
31
It’s called a behavior pattern over time. Key element for proving intent in both conspiracy and obstruction charges. Happening right under our nose in full view.
16
Trump likes to claim that his office gives him some legal immunity, or as Richard Nixon put it, “If the president does it, that means it’s not illegal.” Has it occurred to him or anyone around him that there are also things that would be legal if a private citizen did them, but that are abuses of power if the president does them?
6
"Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation: Inside Trump’s Two-Year War on the Investigations Encircling Him
President Trump’s efforts have exposed him to accusations of obstruction of justice as Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, finishes his work."
The lengths that Trump has gone to in his trying to destroy a valid investigation lead to only one possible conclusion:
Either Trump or his family members or his businesses, or all of them have things they don't want to come out.
It may just be embarrassment at certain findings, or more likely there may be a case or cases to be made of unlawful actions. Whatever it is, Trump's carrying on and constant attacks and ridicule certainly indicate that he and his family members are guilty of something.
An innocent person would welcome an investigation knowing that it will vindicate them. A person who has been up to questionable activities will try to hide the facts or stop the investigation and that is what Trump has been up to.
10
Say this for what Donald J. Trump and his enablers represent: The United States is sorely-lacking in mistaking "freedom" and "rights" for not establishing a high-bar of qualifications to run for, and be elected to, our nation's highest office. Not the least of which is release of all income tax returns, sources (real names) of campaign funding, and a lie-detector test.
12
William Barr has been AG for less than a week and we are hearing that Mueller will wrap up his investigation next week.
Now Mueller has been completely silent as he should be about anything concerning the investigation but does it strike anyone else as very surprising?
If the rumors are true, I would like to know if Mueller was told to wrap it up by Barr.
7
This is not a president and a political party behind him
it is a crime boss and a criminal syndicate "gone to the mattresses" as law enforcement picks them off and sends them to prison
People keep wondering when Republicans will "turn on trump."
They will not because when he is indicted the charges will snag them too. People like mitch mcconnell, devin nunes, jim jordan, kevin McCarthy, matt gaetz, et al are not fighting for their party. They are not fighting for ideals. They are DEFINITELY not fighting for the American people. They are fighting for survival and the long shot possibility that they can avoid federal prison.
10
The current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is running the office more like as if he was in charge of a professional wrestling team with his own channel.
I don't want to disparage pro wrestling by lowering it to tRump's level, because he doesn't measure up to the legitimacy of Ultimate Fighter, Luche Libre, WWE, or even the cast of GLOW...!
4
Can a sitting president be indicted for crimes committed before entering office or during his/her tenure, or not?
The Executive Branch, acting through the Justice Department, claims not--even though the Constitution is silent on the specific question except for the settled social compact that no one is above the law.
The Executive's claim amounts to constitutional over-reach that has not been tested by either Congress or the courts.
Acting on behalf of the Executive, Mueller can't indict if following the Executive's rules. However, the higher authority is the Constitutional demand for checks and balances.
Someone in our country must appeal to that higher authority for justice to prevail. If not it's entirely possible that the Supreme Court can deny judicial intervention into Trump's claim to a national emergency, providing legal authority to authoritarian rule in America.
If not Mueller, then who?
8
"the effect on the country of making a criminal case against the president."
The more serious effect on the country would be to not make a criminal case against a man who prospered and gained the Presidency through criminal activity
17
As the Mueller investigation seems to be nearing its end the noise has reached a shrill disturbing crescendo. Instead of McCabe's obvious blunders to get Trump and the laughable disagreement with Brownstein which calls into question the integrity of both men, we get more allegations that Trump was a Russian agent under the thumb of Putin. The story here paints a dire picture that came to nothing. But Mueller has a track record of wanting to get his man and to make unsustainable accusations against the Russians.
4
@c harris: After his treasonous appearance with Putin last summer, Trump should have been court-martialed and executed.
12
@c harris WOW! The interesting thing about your comment is that it is indistinguishable whether it was made by Trump himself, or a Russian agent simply doing his job of destabilizing US institution.
9
It won't mean a thing unless Mueller's findings are made public. Or Trump is taken away in handcuffs thanks to SDNY.
32
Dear NYT:
Criminalizing a president's tweets is a dangerous move, especially when those statements are public, and made in response to news stories -- fake or not -- seeking to destroy his presidency.
Is it "obstruction" to try to defeat or change a partisan narrative intended to harm you politically?
Is it "obstruction" to protest one's innocence, when one is indeed innocent, and an investigation has dragged on for two years with no evidential justification?
Is it "obstruction" to attack partisan journalism that keeps getting it wrong, with no accountability, and relies on unnamed sources who are unaccountable to the reader?
Is it "obstruction" to attack the subversive misuse of our intel and law enforcement agencies to overturn an election?
Who gets to decide? Who frames this debate?
The Times? An unaccountable prosecutor? A deputy AG who offered to wear a wire to secretly record conversations with the president?
Only Trump must remain silent?
Our First Amendment protects political speech under a broad grant of free exercise.
Making it illegal for Trump to defend himself in public statements would mean that no government official can go on offense to defend himself.
We should be very careful not to let hatred of Trump destroy our fundamental freedoms.
5
Almost every statement directed to another official, whether written or spoken, in public or private, by a sitting president, has the potential to be taken seriously as a direct legal order. When Trump tells an AG "I want you to shut down the Mueller investigation." it's not just Trump defending himself and using his 1st Amendment rights. It's obstruction of justice. When Trump criticizes Sessions, it's not just Trump criticizing a person who has displeased him, it's evidence of Trump's intent. I'm sure numerous lawyers have tried explaining this to Trump.
19
@Jorge: Trump challenges even our freedom to manage the internal processes of our own bodies ourselves.
6
@Jorge: Seems to me that Mueller is silent, keeping his cards close to his chest, and Trump is screaming his head off, implicating himself, digging himself in deeper and deeper.
10
Happened to catch a couple of the John Adams series on HBO this
past weekend. I was hoping it would make me feel more hopeful about America today, realizing what a struggle it was for this country to emerge. The most hopeful thing about it was to see how Adams and Jefferson, who disagreed on everything, came together at the end of their lives. Maybe this can bode well for the split we have today between the Trumpers (about 40%) and the rest of us. Maybe not. That series should be played often now as a beacon - to try to bring us together again and reveal the awful trial our founders had to form this nation. Their lives were on the line. Today our souls are on the line.
5
Oversight is a Congressional responsibility. The Democrats know that the Republicans in the Senate would never convict Trump regardless of whether he was guilty of or not. The Democrats also seem to believe that to impeach without a Senate conviction is a waste of time.
The Democrats hope that Mueller is a game changer. But the reality is that with the Republicans nothing will be. They love Trump and they don't care about his corrupt actions nor that of his administration. Trump has nothing to fear, because Republicans think laws only apply to Democrats. They think morality is just something to lob
Mueller coming in and saving the day, is a similar belief that never Trump Republicans were or are a factor. Mueller will indict those he is utterly sure of conviction. Slam dunk cases only. The Barr here will be the highest, and well above what any other Americans face for bringing charges.
The best we can hope for out of the House is some sunlight and transparency. The Democrats will spend the next two years like they spent the last two. Hoping that in the next election enough Americans, in the right locations, are better than Trump. We can also hope that the Democrats won't fund those who are corrupt, though, I think the desire for the status quo is still to strong.
But then, with the Presidential elections upcoming, Trump has nothing to worry about. The NYT will be back taking down Democrats like they did Hillary Clinton. Both sides am I right?
7
What do you think Republican lawmakers and their sycophantic MAGA hat wearing constituents would have done if President Obama had engaged in the same bludgeoning of the rule of law? Nunez, Gaetz, Jordan and the obsequious hordes would have lit their hair on fire and rushed to introduce articles of impeachment.
The president's abhorrent behavior is only exceeded by the spineless hypocrisy exhibited by his party and his supporters.
33
There is sufficient interference - approaching panic - among those Republicans who attempt to label themselves "conservatives" that I begin to suspect that Trump is merely a recently installed tip for a preexisting iceberg.
15
I used to love this newspaper, until it became one sided and a tool as well as a voice of the Democratic party. So sad. A former New Yorker.
4
Trump should be so lucky as to have his opposition limited to the members of the Democratic Party: a majority of Americans oppose Trump, and plenty of conservatives are just as appalled as the liberals are at Trump's criminality.
30
Another double standard being set
Clapper is wrong, as he well knows, there is a great deal of difference between a witting president and an unwitting president. The first is a crime; the second is not.
Indeed, if Pres. Trump's Russian approach was supported by his power-base, which it was, it would not have been any different than Hillary Clinton's approach to Russia. It would certainly not been interpreted by Eric Holder that Clinton could possibly be an unwitting agent of Putin.
4
@batazoid: If Trump was witting we need impeachment and if he was unwitting we need the 25th.
9
@batazoid Another meaningless comment - although possibly computer-generated out of a Petersburg address.
"Clapper is wrong, as he well knows" - this is Nonsense.
" Trump's Russian approach was supported by his power-base, which it was" - this is baseless.
"it would not have been any different than Hillary Clinton's approach to Russia." - this is baseless nonsense!
I will stop here.
8
Trump apparently has seen the article and tweeted that the New York Times is the enemy of the people. No rational thinking person believes anything Trump says. But America is not populated only by the rational. Already there are many comments on the internet from his supporters threatening, for lack of a better description, 2nd Amendment violence. We know who the enemy is and it is time to route him out. How many crimes must we endure from this lowest of the low tin pot dictator? Enough is enough. 25th Amendment and/or Impeachment now together with Pence!
22
No wonder he gets ZERO of value done - TV watching, tweeting & golf, I'm surprised he finds times for rallies.
19
@Maxie You forgot to mention daily sun tanning, combing his hair, and running Trump Crime Co. through his family 'senor advisers' out of the Oval Office.
10
I keep hearing from the NYT and other media outlets that are trying to destroy Trump that the "Deep State" doesn't exist. Yet the NYT, CNN, MSNBC and many other Trump hating "news" outlets keep getting "Secret" information from "anonymous sources” that is detrimental to Trump. If there isn't a "Deep State" within our government trying to take out Trump then who are these “anonymous sources" trying to take out Trump that seem to have information they could only have gotten from government officials? Do you expect us to believe these "anonymous sources" dishing out information to the media that is the basis for many "hit pieces" are Trump's friends and supporters?
2
The anonymous sources are just people who want to share their shock at Trump's behavior. A lot of them are Administration hires or appointees.
3
Once they leave the administration each anonymous source becomes known: they are the president’s own administration officials. Not some secret cabal. Don’t conflate whistleblowers with the “deep state” - which is a totalitarian bureaucracy that actually runs a government through intimidation and fear.
7
@NYChap
"If there isn't a "Deep State" within our government trying to take out Trump then who are these “anonymous sources" trying to take out Trump"
Here is your fallacy for you to chew on when you go to bed tonight.
The existence of some 'anonymous sources' does not necessitate the existence of 'Deep state'. Similarly, non-existence of your 'Deep state' does not eliminate the existence of the 'anonymous sources'.
A lot of pieces and many comments by readers for the Special Prosecutor to publish the Report. The fact that we are this far makes me believe that when Mueller releases his findings, it will be so overwhelming that Trump will disintegrate. Then comes the indictments from the NY Southern District. Buy a Cosco sized supply of popcorn. It will be so enjoyable to watch. Rudy Giuliani will be on the talk shows with his widening eyes, blaming this as a conspiracy because Trump won the Electoral College. Just stay tuned.
9
That is a very good and so scary scaring wrap-up!
10% - that's ten percent in words - of Germans trust Trump according to a recent, reliable, representative poll.
1
Trump better save some of his indignation and misspelled tweets for Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization who went to Mueller without neither invitations nor indictments.
When his finances — or lack thereof — are uncovered and when the world finally sees his tax returns, Trump will really unravel like his fake hair under a category 5 storm.
18
Lengthy comprehensive article is obviously trying to prove this wrong but the takeaway so far is still:
Elect a president inclined to break the law and you'll get a president who can legally break the law.
12
The Trump administration will likely become known as the most corrupt administration in our nation's history. This article alone clearly illustrates witness tampering and obstruction of justice on multiple occasions by Donald Trump. The enlistment of lackeys and "loyalists" is also revolting, and those individuals must be punished as well if they broke the law.
Repeatedly, we hear Trump talk about wanting people and events to be "fair" to him. It's important to remember that, in Trump's mind, "fair" means that he gets everything he wants, his way, with little to no resistance. Thankfully, our nation operates on the rule of law, and those laws are founded upon the Constitution, and not upon the mercurial nature of a man who has never faced genuine consequence or accountability in the 72 feckless years of his life.
23
Still dumfounded, in 2019, that this awful, immoral, utterly corrupt, and wholly mean-spirited man is really our president.
It must never happen again.
31
Thank you for yet another attempt to wake us from this nightmare but ultimately, I fear it is futile. It is too late. I've come to this realization slowly. I've been the metaphorical frog in the pot of slowly warming water. The declaration of a "National Emergency" by the very mentally unstable man in the W.H. coupled with his disjointed, unhinged diatribe announcing it have left me in despair.
I realize now that not a single Republican will stand up to him. No one will save us and we have no one to blame but ourselves. What do we expect really, when we've turned him into a source of entertainment? Nightly, we laugh at the late night comics. His daily tweets are like a shot of adrenaline to a junkie. We're entertained by his latest insults, his ongoing feuds and his paranoid rants. And while we laugh at him, we never even notice the water going from a simmer to a boil - until it is too late. This is beyond politics. Why won't anyone say what is so obviously true; the President of the United States is seriously mentally ill.
12
@Maureen
I stopped laughing on November 8 2016.
I've been crying ever since.
NOT my president
3
Trump has called the NYT an "enemy of the people." Where are the alarm bells, rotating red lights, and klaxons in Congress and the rest of the Body Politic over this hateful, lying rhetoric so historically associated with fascists and dictators? The Senate, to its credit, passed a resolution on the subject last August, but much more needs to be happening. To attack the free press is to attack the Constitution of the United States. Trump is also attacking the Constitution with his emergency declaration, which proposes action directly contrary to Article 1's reservation of the power of the purse to Congress. How long is this train wreck of a Presidency going to be allowed to stay in office, putting our constitutional democracy under daily threat? I'm not even going into the depraved egregiosities going on with the Justice Department.
13
@Stewart Wilber
Yes yes yes.
We are all getting far too used to this abuse of power and the destruction of our dear democracy. Politicians, and citizens, must address it, daily if need be.
8
Trump does not act like an innocent man.
18
Most thinking people of all political orientations have no problem to see Trump’s criminality. But about 37 – 40% do not.
Interestingly, approximately the same percent of US citizens in 1940 did not see what was then obvious necessity of get involved in the WW2.
Excluding all the mindless Trump’s haters and lovers, I think this distinction largely boils down to individuals’ ability to reason, with Trump’s intelligence level forming a demarcation line between those whose brains fire enough neurons to see the crime, obstruction, collusion, etc, and those who cannot see it.
One other element is different today compared to the 1940’s: Russian, Saudi and Chinese dictators literally corrupting the US representatives, with the office of the presidency being THE benefactor and facilitator of this.
I hope we’ll eventually overcome all this, but the scars may haunt us unless we are lucky to introduce measures preventing another future ‘Trump’ becoming a president. The first step might be to curtail the near-dictatorial powers of the US presidency.
11
Surely the NYTimes staff is smart enough to know that in order to have a Special Council investigation, there must be a crime.
There was no crime but Democrats & the Media has chosen to ignore this fact & go full speed ahead. IMO, the President should have sued the Government & let it go to the Supreme Court. It still upholds the law.
3
@Elaine Coyle There have been quite a few convictions, guilty pleas, and indictments, despite you pretending there was no crime. Apparently, you’re not familiar with the various courts where Trump campaign staff have been convicted?
4
I think you’re confused. An investigation is initiated when a crime may have occurred. It is the goal of an investigation to determine if such a crime has occurred. As it is, this investigation has unearthed several crimes and criminals. Some indicted, some not indicted, and some convicted.
4
@Elaine Coyle: Nope. Suspicion of wrongdoing is enough for an investigation.And Trumps words and actions provide ample suspicion... The investigation then will then determine if the suspicion was warranted. And are you really saying the president should sue himself?
1
Of course this is much bigger than Trump.
This moment we are all living through will someday be seen as a moment in history when the Executive Branch of the USA government was decapitated and neutralized by a foreign enemy. Russia.
It will certainly be up to loyal and patriotic citizens of our law enforcement apparatus to save and make a correction.
The House and the Justice Department are now left with the arduous task of uncovering a plot that will be ranked alongside the attack on Pearl Harbor as one of the most perilous times we faced, as all Democratic Institutions are under relentless attack by our own President.
The Justice Department and the House must now engage aggressively in checking an out of control Executive Branch, even if the Republicans in the Senate abdicate their responsibilities to do so.
Otherwise, we have nothing but lawlessness left.
7
The red flags began flying at the onset of the Trump campaign, and keep popping up every day, yet all they do is investigate. Trump is being given too much time to wiggle out of Treason.
9
Amazing how sooo many accusations have been made but the best Mueller has been able to accomplish is indictments on Russians who will never set foot in a court room, lies about non-crimes (the investigation created the crime), and a few issues about old taxes that had nothing whatsoever to do wit the President.
McCabe has been caught lying to congress and his 60 minutes interview is in direct contradiction to his testimony to congress.
We're searching for crimes of the President colluding with Russians to win the election yet not a single bit of real evidence has surfaced. It's all innuendo, what if's and half truths. However we have undeniable direct evidence the Hilar campaign and the DNC conspired with a foreign agent (Christopher Steele) and Russian Oligarchs to create a fake dossier to undermine the election of Trump and now used to attempt to take down the presidency. Bill was paid 500k in Moscow to speak for 2 hours to a Renaissance Capital which knowingly had FSB agents, one of them indicted by Mueller.
The propaganda machine is running at full speed and the journalists are fully complicit.
3
@Steve Um. General Flynn? Utterly compromised by the Russians, and Trump let him stay on the job nearly three weeks after the Acting Attorney General told the White House of the compromise? Nothing to do with the President?
Stone, who was communicating with both the Russians and Wikileaks - nothing to do with the President?
Manafort, who delivered data to a Russian Intelligence agent and left by another entrance - nothing to do with the President?
You’re correct about a propaganda machine. You’re part of it.
8
@Steve: Where are Trump’s tax returns? Trump committed the following crimes: Refusing to rent to African Americans, defrauding students, abusing his charitable foundation, violating the emoluments clause, employing illegal immigrants, illegal campaign contrubutions in the form of payments to prostitutes just before the election, and tax fraud. That alone should be more than enough for impeachment. But he’s also in Putin’s pocket, as the treasonous “Don and Vlad show” last summer showed all too clearly.
6
@Christopher: Add Cohen, and Papadopoulos.
1
I think we all must read and understand the Mueller report whether we like it or not. In order to reduce the partisanship in this country we have to be open to the possibility that the report could be damaging or not damaging.
We want to avoid the criminalizing of political differences or we get to...
..."Give me a man and I will find the crime."
-Andrey Vyshinsky state prosecutor of Joseph Stalin's Moscow trials
5
The narrative of the Trump Saga Investigation is truly an excellent piece of journalism . Kudos to the journalists who put it together with such specificity ,details and sense of history. As a citizen it has been and is difficult to keep track of the daily events ,chaos and lies that are perpetrated by this administration. If this is not a pattern of obstruction of justice by Trump ,then I don't know what it is
8
If this recent record of his obstruction-of-justice attempts is not enough to lock this criminal away, then what is?
5
I would be very careful if I were the media.
He has taken out the Clinton and Bush dynasties and now has his sights set on the Mainstream Media.
After Buzzfeed, Covington and Smollett, he sees blood in the water.
I suspect that there are now some "leaks" of disinformation set to trap the MSM even further.
Wait for it......
1
It's looking like the OJ defense all over again. "The hated me," and they could have planted evidence against me."
I am waiting to hear how evidence of obstruction of justice, bribery, etc. could have been sprayed on Mr. Trump's socks.
3
Republicans who lost it when Obama wore a tan suit are strangely silent about all of this.
What a difference skin color makes.
Clinton was as wrong. 100% of the Republican Party is nothing but a bunch of deplorable racists, not 50%.
17
According to this article, Donald Trump's defenders have made the odd argument that he cannot be tried for arguably criminal actions because he's been open about them. That, for example, he hasn't engaged in a conspiracy because his firing of James Comey and his attempts to tear down the Mueller investigation were known to all.
This is an extension into criminal law of Trump's (in)famous statement, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters."
By this warped logic of Trump's apologists, the mass murder at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School could not be a crime because it was not hidden. According to such "logic", the more brazen and open criminal actions are, the less culpable are those who committed them.
Astonishing: such gross sophistries are stocks-in trade of America's "leaders"?
6
Before I finish reading this article, I'm compelled to comment on the authors' comment in regard to Julie Sullivan's remarks. They say "Mr. Mueller will have to make judgments about the effect on the country of making a criminal case against the president."
I say he shouldn't. Such an "effect" is none of his business, but it reflects the controlling values the culture projects onto our authority figures. Mueller's job is to report the facts and (hopefully) put them into a proper context. That proper context doesn't have to do with a judgment of what the country can handle vis a "criminal case", but rather what the laws and traditions of our nation require of presidential standards.
This concern is MUCH more important than what sounds like safetyism from either Ms Sullivan or the article's authors.
2
Accusations and allegations galore. What the media spends its time on. Actual wrongdoing? Lawbreaking? NADA! Time to go back to reporting actual news instead of provoking discord in America as Putin has asked be done.
2
I wouldn't say Putin "asked" Trump to provoke discord as much as he "directed" him to do it, but then again I have not been privy to any of the secret conversations that our President has kept hidden from the intelligence community and diplomatic corps of the United States.
4
No investigation of Trump will be complete without a full accounting of his corrupt family's finances. These people only worship gold, so all motives stem from there.
13
You are making the mistake of reading news as speculation. It looks like we will have our answers soon. But i'm afraid that no matter what is, or is not, found you will not be moved from your position.
Please consider being an observer not a zealot. One of the best things you can do in life is be open to all possibilities
3
Reuters is reporting this morning that Mueller's investigation report to OUR Justice Department may happen soon. It will go to The Con Don's new AG appointee - Barr - who has spoken openly about the need to stop/ignore the investigation.
WE THE PEOPLE will see who are actually patriots of OUR United States of America when the results are released.
If Mr. Mueller is truly working for 99.9% of us instead of the 0.01% Robber Barons he will appear before OUR Congress and tell everything he knows about the investigation. He works for US and all of his work should be released to US.
Mr. Mueller and the people who worked with him on the investigation are in a unique position - they know everything there is to know. If their report shows conspiracy with Russia they should arrest The Con Don, Minister Pence and the entire Trump family and hold them for prosecution. OUR Senate must remove Traitor Mitch McConnell from leadership and appoint a Socially Conscious person who wants to preserve/restore democracy in OUR America.
We will see who has the courage to help WE THE PEOPLE save OUR United States of America. If not them, it is up to US to take matters in our own hands to stop the destruction of OUR government and theft of OUR resources.
22
@njglea
I predict, when the report comes out......Crickets.
1
@njglea
Reuters quotes CNN as 'unknown sources' for the gossip. It also assumes that Mueller supposed to be preparing a 'report'.
Add the Mueller's stellar record of non-leaks, and you get a low likelihood that the gossip will materialize.
1
@njglea. "our" congress? congress is a wholly-owned tool of the 1%.
2
I question the use of the words "business empire" to refer to Trump. He sold his name, period. He "branded" everything, random items from steaks to hats to college degrees. A business empire is Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, McDonalds, you know, real businesses that employ thousands of people and grow and expand and turn profit
16
We are all holding our collective breaths until the Mueller report is issued. ( I would include our foreign allies in the breath holders as well.)
This is when our country will really be tested, which will tell us whether we can remain a wobbling democracy or deteriorate into some kind of uncivil war, which we can only hope does not turn violent and deadly.
Mitch McConnell and his party do seem to be waiting to see how bad things really are and, more important to them, how Trump's base reacts and responds to Trump's wrongdoing and possible criminality.
Their test: If the base is upset, even violent, will the GOP stick with the base, or grow a moral spine of decency and defend the evidence and our country instead of Trump?
Nixon left office with at least some dignity, and finally resigned and departed. Will Trump? What are the odds?
Will the public that paid dearly for Trump's presidency and the Mueller report be allowed to read what we taxpayers paid for?
Will Fox News and right-wing Rush, Coulter, and the rest of the dis-informing propagandists accept the Mueller findings, or will they chatter and blast away about the witch hunt, deep state, power-grabbing Democrats and treasonous progressive socialists, and blame everyone but Trump?
For the first time in my long life, I would not be willing to guess or bet how our country will behave after the Mueller report is released, but it will be our final exam.
15
The fact that a real estate developer would not understand the "lines" protecting law enforcement in their various investigations is not surprising. Trump does not believe in the law. He believes, like a king, that as president nothing he does can be illegal. Remember Richard Nixon's quotation: "If the president does it, it's not illegal." What Trump is hiding is that Putin has so much compromising information about him (and the way Trump, Inc. was used as a money-laundering enterprise) that he is incapable of acting as a free-thinking man. Helsinki told us all we needed to know: Trump is in Putin's pocket and everything flows from that fact.
20
These are not the actions of an innocent man. So many skeletons in the closet, so many court dates to come. So few years left to pay for all of the misdeeds. But the wheels of justice have begun to turn.
17
Trump’s associates keep saying that “Trump is just being Trump” (to paraphrase) and that he’s has been acting like that, i.e. asking various appointees to go around the law for his benefit, since his inauguration. Their strategy is too transparent. It is to excuse Trump from bearing any responsibility or accountability for his actions. Why would or should anyone buy that? If we did so then anyone, not just Trump, can weasel out of criminal activity by claiming that they were broadcasting their intent all along. The law does not forgive a criminal act just because the perpetrator spoke out aloud his thoughts or intent before committing his deed. Given that, and considering the seriousness of Trump’s attempts to subvert proper legal procedures, I hope that Trump will not be allowed a free pass.
416
@Camestegal
This cannot be allowed to stand! Will Trump be making new law by breaking the old laws just because " Trump is just being Trump"(to paraphrase)???
21
@Camestegal
Asking his attorney General of something is legal is not a crime.
3
@Camestegal
That's the rub, isn't it?
Here we are, reading barn-burners such as this article, and we're left with a brimming cupful of "hope that Trump will not be allowed a free pass."
I think it's what we're all worried about at this point - will this all just go away for him? Will he be able to finagle a deal to leave office in exchange for a clean bill of legal health?
That would certainly be a disaster, only superseded by a complete dismissal of all the threads that point to him being a criminal, simply because he's the president, and after the presidency he will simply walk free of the responsibility and recompense for his actions.
The only good option is throwing him in prison for his mountain of crimes and corruption. It's the only fair option. The others will make me lose all hope that we can ever have the country we ought to have.
I remain with you in the hope that Trump will not be allowed a free pass. I really, really, really hope so.
63
An actual journalist would point out that if Trump is waging a "war" on the Mueller investigation, it's the worst war ever, and he's the worst "dictator" or "autocrat" ever, since from the beginning he's had completely constitutional and doable options available to him to kill it or cripple it that he hasn't employed. This is just more of the breathless Trump-as-criminal-autocrat nonsense, and it's even more boring and hack than usual.
2
So you're saying that Trump's apparently criminal obstruction is less autocratic than it could be? Hardly comforting.
Necessary to tighten the circle and get him out of office.
The guy is a scam artist and grifter taking the country
for all he and his associates and family can hustle.
Any statues or pictures of this "bone spur", draft dodger
that are traditionally put up on federal property or with tax payer dollars after he leaves office should be covered in heavy ,opaque material with an explanatory sign.
6
Duhh Ya!!
* Trump’s efforts have exposed him to accusations of obstruction of justice as Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, finishes his work. *
Not To Mention His Yrs. As A Family Run, Reason No Ones Ever Taped Him To Run A Corp., Real Estate Developer, Esp. For Many, Like Me, Who's From The Construction Trades Professions!!!
1
700 days left.
1
In reply to kim nyc
No, 2,160.
1
What is taking so long to take action against this criminal? He has committed multiple criminal acts, including treasonous conspiracy with an enemy power, displayed personality disorders, abused his powers, and undermined the foundations of our lawful society. He was elected by a minority of the voters and is strongly opposed by increasingly larger majorities. He is held in near universal contempt by leaders in every walk of life. He is a narcissistic coward. Why won’t normal people who have the power to do so act?
3
Trump has attacked the Russia investigation almost as often as the NYT has cited anonymous sources.
5
It is highly likely that these anonymous sources are among the tens of thousands of law-abiding civil servants who are justifiably horrified by Trump's shenanigans and lies. They, patriots, deserve to be heard and given credence.
4
Is that supposed to prove something ?
@Kizar Sozay
They went from treason to collusion to obstruction of justice to meetings to phone calls to anonymous comments.
And they actually believe their case got stronger.
1
The NY Times lays out a clear case of the President's intent to obstruct the investigation into Russian influence in the Trump organization / campaign.
So what are we waiting for?
The recent story of Director McCabe witnessing the events of Comey's firing, and all the alarm bells of Russian influence going off before this (Carter Page, Papdapolous, Flynn, et al), created a constitutional emergency to such an extent that McCabe and Rosentstein and others discussed employing the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office.
And yet, we are waiting for Mueller to report...the President remains in office because to some extent the president is above the law.
"A sitting American president cannot be indicted, according to current Justice Department policy."
This policy handcuffs our nation to a revealed criminal; it needs to be jettisoned.
Normally the Congress would act. But the GOP Senate majority is totally devoted to this president, which should also be investigated, of course.
If law enforcement could deliver an indictment, it would at least set the public record straight, and the public could vote accordingly; or better yet...it would give Congress impetus to act.
7
@Chuck: This policy put the onus entirely onto Congress to remove irresponsible presidents. Who else can do it authoritatively?
@Chuck the sdny has no such restraints and would consider indictment as reported last night.
There is a very simple answer to all these problems/questions: Mueller publish your report. It's only been two years.
7
My local media is reporting that Mueller is set to deliver his report as early as next week.
2
There certainly is ample evidence to impeach and convict, but I'm skeptical that public opinion for such a move can be mobilized. We've just gone too far down the partisan road and Republicans show no sign they actually care about our country.
4
Thank you for such an in depth article that reminds your reader of the chronology of these events. We all reminded every day about what this inept, corrupt, dangerous and illegitimate President does to undermine our Democracy. We, the People will in 21 months have the power to vote him and his cronies out and hopefully Mr. Mueller will come out with a damaging report. Some questions remain though on WHY those Republicans like Nunes, Meadows, Jordan, Whitaker, Mc Connell etc...have remained so loyal to this man: How far down the road to perdition can your loyalty take you? Are you that dedicated to this person who is only surviving by the glorification of his base through Fox News that the Democracy of your country has no purpose any more? Go Dems, Resist, Persist and Vote them OUT!
7
Cheers to the New York Times and its writers on a good article, there's something in it for everyone. I do look forward to the upcoming story on the Mueller report and its fallout. Keep shining a light on the corrupt politicians.
11
Thus far, enough of the President's men have done enough of his bidding to protect him. There is much smoke around him, but not yet any fire, clearly set by him, that clearly and unambiguously warrants removal by impeachment.
While all human beings are flawed, Trump's character and behavior flaws are sufficiently revealed to all to demonstrate that he never was competent to be President, that he should not have been elected, that he is not competent now, and that he certainly should not be re-elected.
The only question is whether either of two constitutional processes designed to remove Presidents, one due to incapacity, the other due to high crimes and misdemeanors in office, should be used now, prior to the end of his term, or whether we should let the 2020 election take its course.
A third possibility is coercing Trump's resignation, a la Nixon, based on a high probability of an even worse result if he remains. Unfortunately, I would have trouble believing the words "Our long national nightmare is over" from a President Pence, particularly one who, like Gerald Ford, pardoned his predecessor.
A big part of the problem is that Trump's supporters respect neither facts nor the rule of law. They are unwilling to either acknowledge the former nor abide by the latter. The Founding Fathers noted that adherence to party over principle, to narrow self-interest over public good, were inherent flaws in democracy that, at best, could only be mitigated, not eradicated.
5
There is no case by any federal court, including the Supreme Court, holding that the President cannot be indicted. Nor is there language in the Constitution that would indicate that he or she is immune from indictment while in office. Congress has never passed any statute to that effect, either.
Trump knows that he is at legal risk. Therefore he is using his office - one of essentially sacred trust - to undermine the rule of law and his accountability to it. This alone is reason to force this man from office via the impeachment process. The phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors" is not limited to violations of the criminal code. It also covers ethical violations so severe as to call a person's fitness for the presidency into question.
We have less than 21 months until the 2020 election. If our nation cannot, given all the utterly despicable behavior we have seen from this president, vote him out with a resounding landslide, then we as a people have completely lost touch with the ideals and principles that drove the founding of the United States of America.
Donald Trump is a menace to liberty, to law, to freedom, and to our traditions. He is a disgrace to the presidency and to every person who has ever served as our great country's chief executive.
8
None of any of this is going away. Just like Watergate, there will be books, movies, podcasts, etc. If he ever had a good name to lose, it's certainly gone now. Just like Harding and Nixon, Trump will be a hissing and a byword down the generations.
7
How many times exactly did the Clinton administration attack Ken Starr? Did you even bother to look at that for comparison?
4
@CHM
You're asking people who decry Trump's sexist behavior but voted for Bill Clinton, who actually assaulted women, and his wife, who went after them? Think about that.
2
Is that relevant to the question of Trump's criminality? I don't see anything in the obstruction statute that makes some act a crime "only if Bill Clinton didn't do it."
@Dubious
Attacking the prosecutor is what those under investigation do. In Trump's case, he is also dealing with attacks from the media.
And the opinions of those who only have a problem with this behavior now and just very recently voted for a Clinton should be taken with a huge grain of salt.
Deep appreciation to the top-notch investigative reporters at the NYT.
They are essential to what happens next to bring an end to this hideous nightmare that I awake up to every morning, wondering how much more I can take of this grifting, unethical, lying administration (and DJT's offspring of course).
A big shout out also to the brilliance and cogence of so many regular (and respected) commenters. You too give me hope!
10
Ultimately, the Republicans are responsible for this horror show. They let Trump run as a presidential candidate with what appears to be no vetting at all just because they saw his effect on crowds and thought he could win. Next, they supported him no what crazy, criminal or treasonous behavior he exhibited to the detriment of their country. They swore to uphold the Constitution, and they have not done so. When this is all over and the dust settles, it will be the end of the Republican Party. They have destroyed themselves. Let's hope they don't destroy our country.
12
I trust very little political venom I get from obviously biased sources whether it is heavily Republican Fox News or the NYT, a paper that has never supported a Republican Presidential candidate. So far as I have gathered the POTUS has had no criminal actions taken against him. You are innocent until proven guilty. Aren't you? Speculation and hearsay in an actual court of law will get you nowhere. Could you please stop wasting our time as these investigations are by their nature meant to be private. There are far nobler directions a group of excellent writers could take than to waste our time with non-evidentiary dribble. If the POTUS is guilty of a crime or crimes why not let the investigations take their natural course. Patience is a noble virtue.
7
Amen to that.
3
You don't think plain abuse of power or other wrongdoing, whether or not it leads to a criminal conviction, is worth writing about? Even when such wrongdoing could be a sufficient justification for impeachment and removal? Or is it that you think obstruction of justice shouldn't be a crime?
@Dubious You don't seem to appreciate the "bar" for impeachment of a POTUS. It is a criminal cause of action. There isn't a shred of evidence in the article. It's hearsay. I am simply proposing that one should let a privileged/private matter, the investigation(s) take its (their) natural course and not raise a bunch of dribble that is NOT evidence in an article like this. Again, patience is a virtue. This kind of hearsay slinging isn't worthy of the excellent writers in the NYT whose time is better spent elsewhere in my opinion. As to what news is "fit to print" you and I obviously differ.
2
What is this really? We have been and continue to be under cyber attack from Russia, Saudi Arabia and Israel and those are just the tip of the hamberder. We are at war. Our government should be thinking about this and not "what to do about Trump?" Rob a 7-11 and 50 cops are mobilized to get you off the street and into jail AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If these guys had evidence, what is taking so long? We still do not know what the end game of our adversaries actually is unless it is what is actually happening, the complete nullification of the US on the world stage and utter confusion resulting in national navel gazing as we look at the malignancy growing in our collective belly button. Somebody please look at the big picture.
4
@Joseph
Meanwhile Rome burns, Joseph.
The Times would serve us so much better if they included a daily sidebar or page, titled MEANWHILE, that chronicles the short and long term damage this administration continues to inflict on our institutions, our culture, our security...on the very idea of America itself.
We can't hope to deal with the daily assaults on the rule of law, the destruction of our international reputation and the post-war world order if we don't know what they are. Enough of the bright shiny objects. What's really going on is what's really the matter.
We will be dealing with that long after Trump is gone.
4
Trump's "Two-Year War" is a natural and defensible response to the unprecedented investigatory assault on him, his family and associates, and anyone who dares voice an opinion supportive of Trump. Yet, despite the best efforts of the NYT, virtually all other mainstream media, Democrat politicians, the Republican establishment activist judges, academia, entertainers, etc., he's still standing. Nothing has stuck. It's truly remarkable that Trump has, to-date, beaten back the onslaught - in part by going on the offensive publicly.
Speaking of Russia, how well would the Clintons have held up under a similar investigatory onslaught? How about the $140,000,000 in donations to the Clinton Foundation by Uranium One board members, which still sits in Foundation investment accounts waiting for the Clintons to figure out how to access the funds. How about paying unnamed "Russian intelligence operatives" for the Steele Dossier and then prevailing on their allies in the DOJ to investigate Trump based on their bought-and-paid-for accusations? Finally, how about the DOJ Clinton allies spiking the Hilary email investigation, which, remarkably, was admitted by Andrew McCabe this week.
Trump, with all his flaws, will ultimately prevail and history will recognize these unending investigations for what they are - sour grapes at losing the easiest electoral layup in American history.....to Donald Trump.
5
I think the more obvious conclusion is that the unprecedented investigatory assault on Trump is a natural American response to deep and rampant treachery, criminality, fraud, bad faith, and self-dealing.
4
Time for action by the congress....and the SDNY.
"I think Mr. Trump would do the right thing by
declaring a national emergency on fake news, shutting down the NY Times, Wash. Post, etc, leaving only Fox news. Roundup the owners and LOCK THEM UP.
Next, he would declare a national emergency on corruption inside the FBI and shutdown the special counsel, roundup Mueller and all involved and LOCK THEM UP.
Next, he would launch an investigation into Clinton or better yet, just LOCK HER UP.
Next, he would pardon everyone who has been convicted."
Wait for it...
..I actually said this to a Trump supporter in my family.
He totally agreed.
1
Is this supposed to be an Op-Ed cause it sounds like one
5
To some people, facts sound like opinions...
2
@Larry D
Some of us rely on the facts uncovered by a real investigator based on the law . Partisans make their own cases regardless of the law.
2
Why is Trump so frantically obstructing justice? The penalty for someone guilty of treason is death or a prison sentence of no less than 5 years. There is no death penalty for obstruction. Trump is scared out of his wits. He could be fighting for more than just his political life.
8
It is so scary that 1/3 of our citizens are supporting this criminal wanna be dictator.
23
there is simply too much to comprehend in this investigation... you could create a as degree from all of it.... from world banking passing dirty money, to the manipulation of social media, the influence of the new, Soviet support of many politicians to the dirty business of certain media personalities, from Hollywood , Burnett,and the National enquirer monkey business...then add Kushner and any country wanting something from the USA. .all of the middle east....
6
This is how an Empire operates.
“Empire is as Empire does”.
3
Donald Trump is incapable of telling the truth, so he has to resort to intimidation, pressure and humiliation. That is all he has - except the truth behind his relationship with Vladimir Putin. And, to repeat myself, he can't tell the truth.
9
If Barack Obama had uttered just ONE of the attacks on the DOJ that Trump has made, the predictable and amoral GOP lackeys would have been banging the drum for impeachment.
Who will be the first GOP member to openly speak of the the screamingly obvious fact that this President should be impeached?
The so-called 'moderates', such as Collins, Portman, etc., have showed themselves to be abject cowards and opportunists.
25
Mueller: when is the big day so I can put on my party dress? The world can't wait.
7
"unindicted co-conspirator and raised the prospect of the president being charged after he leaves office."
The facts are out in front of us. They're in plain sight for anyone who can stomach them. The Trump Criminal Syndicate is continuing to hollow out the institutions of the United States of America.
Congress needs to impeach for high crimes, NOW. No more traitors including those in congress!
Thank God for the New York Times and the context they provide so we can see the actual evisceration of the Constitution by Trump's family and friends.
12
@Mr. Wizard: How ironic that the campaign that culminated in Trump opened with legislation enacted in 1953 that respected the preposterous claim that the US is "under God", to inoculate it against communism.
I'm not sure what anyone involved in a phony, trumped-up investigation should do. Deny incessantly comes to mind.
4
@Jesse The Conservative what about let it continue and prove him innocent
1
@Jesse The Conservative
Trump deserves credit for not allowing the FBI and CIA to conspire against him. We should be thanking him for outing them.
@Jesse, you might be right when it comes to phony investigations. Unfortunately for the President, though, this investigation is very real. You might find it worth your while to read up on the investigation and the numerous well-supported indictments, guilty pleas, and convictions it has already achieved.
You had an FBI top secret spy agent and his lawyer girlfriend e mail each other about how they should basically take the President down. You have the wife of the A.G. on the team that did the “Steel”dossier and you think that the President wasn’t a little paranoid about this. You seem to think that these higher ups in the Justice Department are dedicated to find the truth whatever that is. Absolutely no prejudice. I think they think ofthe President as a booble head. They might be right but I smell a set up twoslow years in the making. Trump was easy prey for these so called professionals. I hope Muller can come out of the mud. You do not like Trump vote him out in the next election.
3
Trump has 58 million followers on Twitter?! I find that number astonishing. If he is innocent, why try so, so hard to stop the investigation.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
4
Investigate.
Indict.
Try.
Convict.
Maximum sentence per US Penal Code, Title 18, Chapter 115, Section 2381.
Sic semper tyrannis.
12
Lest we forget, the Republicans, the whole party, have enabled this clearly crooked administration by abdicating their co-equal branch of government. McConnell, Ryan, Graham, et al are co-conspirators of this flim flam con artist. Most of us, numbed by the craziness of these past two years, are awaiting a reckoning. While there's no precedent for it, I believe he should be in jail for treason.
14
Meadows, Gaetz, Jordan, Zeldin and Nunes ... Write up conspiracy charges against them. Now.
11
When Trump tweets that the NYT is the true enemy of the people, it begs the question, "Which people?"
11
Great picture!
3
And today Trump attacked the NYTimes for attacking him for his attacks on those investigating him.
10
I'd like nothing more than to watch Nunes, Gaezt, and the their fellow firebrands to be charged with obstruction along with others in this long list of players.
They knew that the President was seriously desperate, so would easily influenced. And they pounced at precisely the right moment to lay doubt and begin a process of de-legitimizing the investigations into the President. They should absolutely all be held accountable for this as well.
17
The Republican party owns this national tragedy. As the American poet Robert Lowell said, "Memory is genius."
Let's not forget.
18
The time for accusations is long past.
It's now the time for indictments, prosecutions, imprisonments, and impeachments.
The man is owned by the Kremlin!!
576
@Rocky L. R.
And by extension, so are we.
19
“Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation”
Who are you talking about? Mueller, the SDNY, and the NYT?
3
@Edward
Exactly. The more McCabe exposes their own conspiracy the more the media doubles down on its accusations. Coincidence? I think not. Best defense is a good offense, and the media is now in full offensive mode on Trump-Russia.
Remember the good old days when a group of security bureaucrats' trying to subvert a president would have been the scandal of the decade and all media would have investigated?
Remember when the CIA wasn't the hero of progressives? For that matter, remember when lying to committees during hearings was a cause for discredit, not lionization?
Progressives have gone so far afield of their "principles" that it's safe to say they have none left.
1
@Edward. Read the article. It really will clear up your confusion.
7
@Edward-No, he's referring to the Trump administration. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence can see that.
4
The top picture says it all.
A frightening man.
Hidden eyes covered by black shadows.
Going forward to lie.
Pure evil.
The devil in a red tie.
16
It is never a sure thing that a particular combination of contrast and perspective will yield a good or great picture yet both are needed to deliver a clear picture. The Mueller investigation marked by few public statements complemented by a steady pace of filing indictments sits in sharp contrast to the wild tweets and media spitballs from DJT, Giuliani, Republican House members and sycophant media personalities. Even if the full report is buried by a compliant AG Barr the conclusion of Mueller investigation is key to gaining the needed perspective to yield a crystal clear picture of DJT and his desperate attempts to display the illusion of control and keep his tenuous grip on a presidency marked by failure after failure.
4
Where does Russian collusion fit into your neat little picture? It must have gotten lost in the pixels and dots.
It is stunning to me that a POTUS who gained office through criminal activity and corruption cannot be indicted for criminal activity and corruption because he's in office.
Never wonder how or why the United States of America descended into authoritarianism.
21
An amazing assemblage of Trump transgressions and brazen disdain for the rule of law that will never result in the indictment as long as Trump remains president.
As for impeachment, that too seems a bridge too far for a Congress in which the GOP holds the majority in the Senate.
Seems the only glimmer of hope is that Muller has the goods on Trump in spades and presents that in an iron clad way.
Even so timing will certainly be a crucial variable as the two year run up to the 2020 election quickly gathers momentum and totally dominates the national political dynamic.
Trump may well squeeze through the cracks.
4
"It's gone on long enough!" is the refrain from Trump supporters regarding the Mueller investigation. Undoubtedly, what they mean is, "End this now before he gets even MORE compelling evidence of collusion and obstruction."
Yet, if Mueller's investigation ended today, it would rank as one of the SHORTEST Special Counsel investigations in recent history. The investigation will only be two years old in May of 2019. The Whitewater investigation, that led to Clinton's impeachment in the House of Representatives (but failed in the Senate) ran over 7 years. The Iran-Contra investigation lasted nearly 7 years and continued even after President Reagan left office.
The only thing that makes the Mueller investigation SEEM long, is Trump's incessant complaining/Tweeting about it. Trump does or says something on a near daily basis that keeps this in the news. So, how can the news NOT cover what the President of the United States is clearly obsessed with?
What makes this so unusual is the brazen and transparent way in which Trump has tried to hinder the investigation. It's like a bank robber who walks into a bank in broad daylight, without a mask, with plenty of witnesses, tells the clerk his real name, intimidates the clerk to hand over the money; then, as a defense, he claims, "I was upfront about everything I did. I wasn't trying to hide anything."
18
Sociopath:
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage [...] is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
13
@Anne Pfohl Here's the irony in what you wrote - a Trump supporter would retort, "Are you describing Mueller or the mainstream media - or BOTH?" One of the constant themes on FoxNews (State TV) is how "hysterical" the mainstream media has become. They try to brand silly phrases (as Trump does) like "Trump Derangement Syndrome".
2
The NYT, the Washington Post, Mother Jones, Politico and the Guardian are doing the hard work and heavy lifting of informing the American Public and the World at Large of the travesty taking place within the current Oval Office. Thank you. Your work helps to protect this albeit, troubled democracy. I encourage your organizations and writers to research and publish more about the roles Mitch McConnell and many high level Republican and Democratic Senators and Congressional Representatives have played in this mess through their apathy and avoidance behavior. There are a few hard working elected officials who have been doing the heavy lifting in the Senate and House but the majority have opted to "hide under the bed" and should also be held accountable for their actions. And for many American Citizens, invest more energy and time in critical thinking stop relying on Twitter and Facebook as your major source of news.
20
@Leslie374
Right, because a long and full-fledged special investigation turned up no collusion? The great Mueller didn't deliver, and some just want to keep the band together.
1
@Leslie374, checkout NYT podcast about Mitch. It’s all about stacking the Courts with Republican judges, effectively securing the Courts. I do not like Mitch one bit, but he has done a fantastic job in this regard.
Time to strip the power of the Senate Majority Leader of these powers. Should either be the will of the people or a bipartisan commission to decide the Courts. Ideology can control the Presidency and Congress...but not the Courts, where Justice is supposed to reside, irrespective of ideology.
1
Trump is front and center on most news and discussions of national and international affairs and and even the Congress and yet it is clear that his knowledge of law and politics and history are all shallow, no deeper than the mass media has time to cover. How does he do it? He watches and listens to the mass media. He speaks like a broadcast professional. He speaks with conviction and solid confidence which convinces. This is a person who is a master of the media even though his knowledge about most important things in our lives is thin.
Ask yourselves what is the most important subject faced by anybody besides mortality, today, and it’s not Trump’s troubles with investigations. It’s the extreme conditions which are becoming more evident every day because of climate change driven by global warming that seems to be caused by very high proportions of carbon gases. What are we doing to ourselves because this man can control the mass media so adroitly?
1
I don't understand what's wrong with so many people in this country (note that I did not use the term "Americans") who are so enamored of Trump and his den of thieves and thugs. Law enforcement is now bad while Russia is good? Most people in flyover country had never even heard of Roger Stone and yet now he's some kind of hero to them? Are you kidding me? Look, I loved The Godfather and Good Fellas as much as the next person but I would never have considered of handing control of our country over to the mafia.
17
This article has nothing to do with partisan likes or dislikes of Donald Trump. It concerns the fundamentals of democratic, representative government. If you believe that being elected president confers some sort of sovereignty that places that person above the law, then you misunderstand the principles (imperfect in practice as they may have been) upon which this country was founded. The DOJ policy on the criminal liability of a sitting president is just that; a policy finding. It is not the law until the judicial branch has definitively ruled it to be. If that were to happen, the Constitution would be seriously undermined and we would be well on our way to being an authoritarian state. The utter lawlessness of the Trump administration has proven that.
9
Truth is for losers. Republicans have known that for the past 20 years. Matt Gaetz knows it, Jim Jordan and Devin Nunes know it, and Trump certainly knows it.
Republicans in Congress are cleverly following the lead of Trump's unhinged supporters, who will believe any silly theory provided to them by the right wing propaganda machine. The right has created a perfect, truth-free spin machine and feedback loop. This loop won't permit any serious review of the Mueller report, and certainly won't acknowledge or act on any investigative reporting by the NYT, WaPo, or any other source. And they are so deep into the fairytale world of Trump as Saviour that they have to see this fantasy through to the end.
That's what worries "normal" citizens the most: fealty to Trump, whether out of political opportunism or blind credulous faith, will certainly and inevitably tear the nation apart.
12
Trumps wants the public to see him as one of the hardest working Presidents ever. Like a lot of else he has said, this is nonsense.
When he's not at Mar-a-lago playing golf or spreading misinformation and lies at his Nuremberg-like rallies, he is bullying his own staff and denigrating pillars of our democracy (law enforcement, justice department, media). His so-called "executive time," a euphemism if there ever was one, is little more than his watching hours of FOX and other loyalist propaganda television and tweeting his many angry obsessions in barely literate prose.
He is one of the least productive persons to ever occupy this office and certainly one of the most unready, unqualified, ignorant, insecure, and immature. If Rod Rosenstein was not taking stock of Cabinet member interest in the 25th Amendment, he should have been doing so.
14
The article mentions several times that investigators were "closing in." How long till they arrive? It's like one of those B movies where a director uses the same shot, over and over, of someone running towards a goal and never quite getting there.
5
@Art
The long list of indictments, and the evidence within them, shows very clearly that the Mueller team has a laser-like focus and is, indeed, closing in the unifying truth behind the misdeeds of this president and his men.
It has been progressing at a consistent and rapid pace. Your comment shows the success of this administration in spinning the reality into a fantasy. They are all now very anxious, as they should be, because every week the noose is getting tighter and tighter.
5
@Art
Now that it is rumored that Mueller will find no collusion, Adam Schiff, et al, are starting up their own investigations.
1
Some food for thought:
1. Is this how an innocent person acts?
2. Imagine if this were an intelligent, prepared, qualified and experienced person. Could they actually get away with it because they have the brains to be subtle ("Duh, I was thinking about Russia when I fired Comey. All the pressure is gone now!")?
3. Imagine if this were Bill Clinton or Barack Obama acting this way
4. If there are no real consequences for the Don, jail, forfeiture of assets, the future of our country is in grave danger when we get an equally corrupt but actually intelligent, prepared, qualified and experienced person as POTUS.
12
"to essentially reinvestigate Hillary Clinton for her handling of her emails while secretary of state — the case had ended in the summer of 2016 — as well as the ... "
The case ended in the fall of 2016, 5 days before voting, after Comey ended his re-opened investigation. Remember? That thing that changed the election?
5
I wonder if the American public is ready to be shown that not only their President, but many in high office (cabinet level) and on the Hill are guilty of crimes ranging from obstruction to outright treason?
While the majority feel Mueller's quest is not only legitimate, but about to bare the ugliest of truths - those who see trump as a victim will not let this go quietly. Of the voting base, this is understandable, as unpalatable as it may be. But from those in power, from McConnell downwards, who have enabled this travesty, it is absolutely reprehensible.
Trump and his inner circle may pay, should pay, but the enablers should be punished heavily as well.
They are putting democracy at risk, having already participated in america's precipitous downfall on the global stage and in alienating allies of long standing.
History will be brutal to these criminals.
34
@LC I believe release of McCabe's book (carefully vetted by the FBI) is part of preparing the American public for the release of the Mueller Report and indictments of the president. Even McConnell knows that a sudden indictment of the US President for crimes bordering on treason, with a strong paper trail supported by numerous witnesses, is going to lead to civil unrest and a real Constitutional crisis.
382
@LC You're hilarious -- wrong on pretty much every factual assertion here, wildly speculative, and almost certain to be disappointed in the Mueller report, except that I'll bet you'll do what the rest of the left is doing by trying to spin the convictions and guilty pleas of peripheral nonsense in this Stalinist "investigation" that's really a prosecution as somehow proof of Trump's own criminality and impeachability.
What's really horrible about this kind of irrational twittery is that it really is in support of the Stalinist "show me the man and I'll show you the crime" mentality that the left in general, and Democrats in particular when I was one, used to be foursquare against.
2
@Susan What are you going to do when you're completely disappointed by the results of the "investigation" that's really a prosecution?
Never mind. See response to LC. You'll do the same.
There is no Constitutional article that provides for "Donald Trump being Donald Trump."
Stop attempting to make excuses out of dictatorial malfeasance.
It is what it is: Criminal. Unconstitutional. An abuse of power -- power that was unlawfully acquired, through deception, criminal conspiracy, cyber-espionage, fraud, theft, subversive activity including PR efforts designed specifically to discourage American voters from voting.
And perhaps worse.
10
This investigation started over two years ago to find out if Trump colluded with Putin to help him win. Mueller went after Papadopoulos who got fourteen days in jail. He was out in twelve. How many millions did each of those days cost us? Flynn is charged with lying about contacts with the Russian Ambassador after the election. Even some of the FBI agents there thought that charge was bogus. What were the contacts about? He asked them to not vote against Israel in an upcoming UN resolution and that Putin not overact to sanctions imposed. He was taking care of our interests. Mueller indicted a bunch of Russians not even in the country. He sent a bunch of agents armed with automatic weapons and full armor to pull Stone out of his house. Apparently, he asked someone if they knew what Wikileaks was going to release. Seems like a good question to ask. I wonder if someone at the NYT asked that question their house would they be raided. Manafort Is charge with business crimes over a decade ago that had already been looked at by the Justice department with no action taken, Now Mueller is going after international crime organizations. This investigation needs to end.
2
@Ron
They have their own "case" against Trump, totally removed from the legal realm and increasingly disconnected to the Mueller investigation. Fortunately, there's a legal system that separates the two.
1
@Ron Remember the "Whitewater" investigations? Seven years of partisan digging, however many millions of tax dollars spent, and what did we have to show for it? Monica Lewinsky's blue dress.
1
@Katrin
What we didn't have is an FBI and CIA gunning for the president. That makes this much more dangerous.
Trump's "deep state conspiracy" = lame attempt to evade criminal prosecution. Lock him along with his corrupt family and his co-conspirators.
11
Turns out the reason for the Russian collusion hoax was just about a vindictive FBI seeking retribution for a fired boss. Ironic that this is going to end badly for everyone except the President it was meant to indict. What a sick system. We've got some work to do as a country.
2
@Mark - Wow. That's amazing. So how exactly did the FBI get all of Trump's cronies and family members to meet with the Russians and then lie about it?
5
Will you believe it when the Muller report shows that Trump is engaged in criminal activity. Or have you convinced yourself that anything negative about Trump is a lie.
5
@Mark
Sorry Mark, that's nothing but spin.
4
Looks like a mob boss, talks like a mob boss, behaves like a mob boss, associates with other mob bosses. This certainly says something about his supporters. The rule of law has never been tested like this before.
10
At least it's not about Russia anymore, now obstruction of justice. After that who knows what. Once they dogs have the scent and are unleashed they'll run after in pursuit until they drop dead. Hopefully this fox will have a heart attack first because two more years of this is unbearable to watch anymore. One can only marvel in pity at such slavish canine obsessive behavior. Nature was cruel teaching dogs to hunt in packs. My sympathies to MSNBC as well.
@WES, “the President accused of collusion (not a crime btw)...”
Yes it is WES, it’s called TREASON.
The ACT of conspiring with a hostile, foreign power to attack a U.S. citizen (Hillary - ex Secretary of State) and the ACT to trying to sway or subvert the election process using the assistance of that very same hostile, foreign nation.
In essence, putting the priorities of that hostile, foreign power ABOVE those of the United States. It’s TREASON in the 10th degree.
5
Rest assured, NYT. The President’s public war on the inquiry IS shocking to a majority of Americans and has never ceased to be so.
The last three years - I’m including the run up to the election - has been a nauseating and unending sucker punch in the guts.
This is exactly what his followers
love...they feed on schadenfreude, so hungry for it that they haven’t realized that they’re standing on a dead-fall that will eventually give way.
The Trump presidency is like the movie Groundhog Day:
[Phil:] ”I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.”
Mueller ‘s appointment and investigation is the one thing that gives me a glimmer of hope for our country in these dark days.
6
I was so hounded and beleagured, treated so unfairly, yet managed to remain a complete scoundrel in spite of more advantages than almost any person who ever lived. Poor me.
7
Yes this is all so sickeningly true, but..
Who elected this fellow? Who continues to support him and cover for him?
You could say this is not about conservatives. If that is so, why have they not turned on him, like with Nixon?
Once, I wrote it off as fringe. Debate a many but I never really believed they could believe it all; it was just rhetoric.
It’s not just rhetoric. He is not a aberration. They like him. They want him to continue.
I have come to believe they hate me, they really do hate anybody different or who challenges the status quo. Most especially of all LIBERALS, who to them represent the aforementioned.
If you can't stomach the word hate, let's just say they wish we would all just go away.
This is not hysterical crazy lefty talk. This is 45 years personal lived experience. Including my own family.
Oh, you don’t like this? You who have defended this abomination? We must come up with a word for “beyond hypocrisy” because the word no longer does justice to what you have done.
These people were defeated at the Revolution, Civil War, Progressive Era, New Deal, Civil Rights and the 60’s and Nixon.
They started This War again and now Liberals, Democrats, Centrists, everyone and anyone who cares about our Republic need to put their differences aside, unite and fight back. Once again.
This is Fascism. The desire is not just to de-legitimize other social and political ideas, but to exterminate them.
I pray I’m wrong but I fear I’m not.
9
Thank god for investigative journalists.
9
I'm sick and tired of journalists "wondering" why Trump is so dedicated to covering up everything he's done with Russia.
It's simple but no one will say it. It's the only explanation that makes sense.
Trump is a traitor and so are his associates that helped him commit treason.
All the rest he figures he can wiggle out of. Treason is the end of him and Pence was in on it too.
Say the word. Say it hypothetically. Say it as plausible, but face your duty to say it. That's what happened.
11
A hundred years from now -- presuming the United States lasts so long -- Trump's anomalous 'Predisency' will stand out as more imperial than Nixon's, more criminal than Warren G. Harding's, more corrupt and venal than Ulysses S. Grant's, and more bizarre and ineffective than Jimmy Carter's or even George W. Bush. By several orders of magnitude. This, historians may well say, is when America stopped being a first world nation, and gave up greatness in favor of crime and poltroonery.
8
The president doth protest too much, methinks.
6
Dark, absorbing photograph by Doug Mills shows how sinister this pseudo President really is. The light, the truth, is what this photo and the exemplary journalists Mark Mazzetti, Maggie Haberman, Nicholas Fandos and Michael S. Schmidt shine onto us all who seek the truth and with that power, of light, always stronger than the dark. One can hide in the dark but not the light.
I am supremely proud to be a subscriber of The New York Times.
6
The informed citizenry can only surmise that a significant portion of GOP Congress has accepted campaign contributions from Russia, via the NRA or other PACs, and rather than face the music, they will stonewall and obstruct all investigations in Russian interference into our election.
What else? This is not garden variety corruption. The survival of our Democracy is in grave doubt.
556
@Bill You have identified the real culprits - the Republican members of the House and Senate. History should not deal kindly with those members who would be like the three monkeys: "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil." I hope the truth-tellers will get to write that history.
61
@Bill
I suspect that some (or maybe even many) of GOP Congress are keeping silent also because their personal lives can't stand scrutiny. Some may have conflicts of interest, tax issues, personal peccadillos which Trump would use to keep them in line. Which is why, short of demonstrable unequivocal treason Trump might never be impeached, as he will take them down with him. And even if he were to be impeached there will not be 66 votes in the Senate to convict.There probably will be a deal allowing him to resign, perhaps for "health" reasons for "the good of the country". Then the incoming President will pardon him and everybody in his family, just like when Nixon was allowed to resign in 1974 and be pardoned by President Ford..
26
The Con Don's most terrifying action was having Russians in OUR oval office the day after he took over OUR white house and blocked OUR American and other world reporters from attending. It was a true nightmare moment.
WE THE PEOPLE do not need any more evidence. He's a corrupt Russian operative and must be arrested and imprisoned for conspiracy against OUR United States of America.
RIGHT NOW.
21
My commentary has not directly to do with the above article. It's about a general uneasiness. This president has, in only two years, decimated the developments and accomplishments of the USA to virtually nothing. Very sad, considering it has taken generations to build up the country with "blood, sweat and tears"!
19
@Marianne Pomeroy: It took three generations to convince the US to believe it is "under God", so public officials are no longer responsible for public policies.
☭ Tяrump ☠
19
I'm listening to Andrew McCabe this morning and I think it's time Mitch McConnell and Devin Nunes, both be investigated as well as be brought before the public to answer questions why they did not react or pursue why Donald Trump's campaign contacts with the Russians and why Donald Trump continues to side with the Russians over the United States Intelligence Agencies, National Security Agencies and the Military.
I am very concerned that our Republican Congress has continued to ignore and downplay what has been going on in plain sight with Trump, the Trump family and the Russians and the Saudi's; and is obvious to everyone but those enablers.
34
What a great job of in depth investigation and putting everything we know, in a nutshell, so to speak.
My head is spinning as to what is to be done next or really what can be done. The more I read, the more I hear on the news , whether on network or cable news, this "democracy" is so shattered, and yet we seem to go on.
Thanks to those who know what they are doing. Thanks to what checks and balances are left.
16
@norinal: One hopes this is only a midlife crisis of democracy.
1
This article is wonderful "inside baseball." What's missing is the view from the inside of the opposing camp in the "war" the NYT has decided is "Trump's war."
If the NYT can prominently publish a statement by an anonymous Trump Administration insider spelling out his or her efforts to sabotage Trump from inside the government, I'd expect to see a lot more from this excellent investigative team on the "inside baseball" of the war against Trump.
Who are the good-guy rebels here, and who are the "Empire Strikes Back" forces? Yes, we can see Trump is scrappy and fights hard to defend himself. How about those super-self-righteous participants who are loud, scrappy, and sometimes exceed their job definitions, on the other side?
We're on a tough, slippery spot here. If the Commander-in-Chief tells you to shoot, and you decide he's a nut and you refuse to hit the target, what is that called? Patriotism or high treason?
For the average member of the public, how do we parse the obvious lies under oath made by McCabe, Strzok, Lisa Page, et al -- even, possibly, Comey -- and their book deals and TV appearances, while the lies under oath by Manafort or Flynn or Carter Page somehow rise to the level of long sentences in the penitentiary?
You don't have to like Trump or his war tactics to feel deep distaste for the ugly actors on the other side. It's like two boxers trading kidney punches and shots below the belt. They both look disgusting and like they will do anything to win.
57
It is not a game or a sport, mitchell. It's OUR lives. Democracy is not a spectator sport.
171
@mitchell - you've simply not been able to see the "big picture".
51
Thank you for your insightful comments! It IS hard to scrutinize the truth. Everything's become a talk show like utube venue of people hawking their own conspiracy theories. Sychophant liberals and media would have us believe Trump is the devil incarnate and a Russian spy. Kind of like buying that Jussie Smollett is Mother Teresa.
9
Having this criminal as our president will be written about as one of the darkest times of the country -- if the country survives to be written about. Trump has always been a thug, a mafioso-wannabe. Having him as president is no different than if John Gotti had pulled off the scam of the century and won the election.
21
There is a bumper sticker that I always thought made perfect sense:
Be nice to your children, for they will choose your nursing home.
Donald Trump does not know how to treat his staff. He uses them, he manipulates them, he lies to them, he has no loyalties to them, and then wonders why there are so many leaks. Leaks, that lead to stories like these being made possible. (Great work, by the way NYT).
He just doesn't understand a basic human relations standard that you can't expect loyalty if you don't give loyalty.
14
The Doug Mills image illustrates perfectly how the President is in the dark and lacking vision.
6
I've said this before. Mueller is not a savior. He is a fine man from all accounts, dedicated to his principles. He is an institutionalist. His report , no doubt. will be through. But in the end, his report may say that Trump etal, however ethically challenged, did not commit a crime. If there is an indication of crimes committed, Trump will say he and his family were too new, too green to politics, too stupid to have intent. He's hinted at that with his " but I was a little new to the job, a little new to the profession, and we had a little disappointment for the first year and a half." The final defense, after everyone else is thrown under the bus, will be I was too stupid to know what I did was wrong.
2
Ignorance of the law is absolutely no defense. Esp when one is surrounded by attorneys.
6
@Cheryl Wooley then have him step down. He's done too much damage. He needs to go. It is time for him to resign or all that he is being charged with will befall him; ignorance of the law is no excuse. Or is it too late?
2
@ Mels....and especially if one is POTUS
It is unfortunate that the left is so hateful that they have perpetrated this on our president and our country. It is unfortunate they are so blinded that they cannot see the good he has done. Finally what goes around comes around so everyone should be prepared for years of turmoil instead of things running smoothly. Too bad.
@Ricardoh: What Trump cannot have, he will destroy.
5
How can you, or anyone else, support a man who has made it his mission to destroy our citizens’ trust in all that we as a county hold dear? He has maligned our justice system, attempted to erode our trust in our intelligence agencies, aligned himself with dictators and bullies, alienated our allies, and lied on a regular basis. He has been a disaster from day one of his presidency.
6
@Ricardoh
A dispassionate, comprehensive, and weighted analysis, would show that Trump has done more harm than good. For the shorthand version, just look at the division he has sown across the body politic.
6
I hope Trump has had a miserable time in the job.
6
@Lee Downie
he sure appears miserable all the time.
makes one wonder why he wants to run again.
1
@Lee Downie: I think the treatment of Obama's golfing was another racial thing, like Black folks don't play golf or do serious mathematics.
1
Every American should be deeply concerned about Trump’s obvious disregard and disrespect for our Constitution. This reporting proves this beyond any reasonable doubt. Shortly after Trump’s unfortunate election, I subscribed to the New York Times to help support the freedom of the press and to help insure this type of investigative reporting. I’m glad I did.
12
It's the old duck analogy: if it walks, quacks and swims like a duck, it must be a duck. Let "duck" stand in for any word(s) many have used to describe Trump - traitor, liar, foreign agent - all ring true. Trump is that duck. Do we need to wait to see a photo of him taking a stack of cash from the hand of a Russian operative before we acknowledge that?
On our police forces, when apparent evidence becomes so overwhelming against an officer, he or she is removed from responsibility and placed on administrative leave while investigations are conducted. Most thinking people understand how overwhelming the existing evidence is against Trump. So why, in the name of our country's and the world's sanity, is he still "administering"?
9
@CP: The whole Republican Senate delegation is cowering in fear that they will be primaried out in the next election cycle by people so extreme they are certain to lose a general election.
2
@Steve Bolger, I would love to see the terminally ill Republican party as it stands primary itself out of existence or at least to a marginal fringe that would be far from the center of elm of power. That would allow a Democratic majority, granted comprised of sparring factions, but once in power the factions can sort themselves out. Whatever the outcome from whatever faction dominates, it would be better then the criminal administration and its lackeys we are currently living with.
1
The GOP did this. They let Trump "in," and have stood silently by as Trump has subverted our democratic laws and norms bit by bit, raging on Twitter and spewing lies like the tin-pot dictator he is. Republicans used to be able to run on a pro-law-and-order platform. No more. Today's GOP is pro crime and corruption and deserves to be banished to the trash heap of history. May their brand forever be toxic. May every serving Republican in Congress be sent packing.
15
Trump continues to flaunt the law. I can hardly wait to be rid of him and his corrupt administration.
11
Extraordinary.
3
Obstruction = impeachment.
9
Tell me one more time and speak slowly please. I am a deplorable, straight white Christian male and bitterly clinging to what little dignity I’m still allowed. Intersectionality’s night mare spawn. Am I to understand that the President is accused of collusion (not a crime btw) with a foreign nation, evidently planted as a cover story to protect his defeated opponent and a previous President who may in fact have committed actual crimes, and when he gets upset and attempts to defend himself is accused of obstructing justice? Is that about it, or is my State University education not capable of understanding the highly nuanced sophistication of this piece?
Mueller needs to get off the pot put his cards on the table and tell us all what he has found. If the President has in fact obstructed justice then congress needs to bring those charges. This completely partisan slow waltz is beyond excruciating. Thousands of Americans are dying each year from opioids and other drugs, the middle class is dying, the working class is little more than slave labor, the oligarchs who I assume tell you which articles to publish are safely ensconced in fortified island paradises, and I’m supposed to be concerned about a man probably falsely accused trying to defend himself. Give me a break and send your reporters out here in the countryside for a few articles people might actually find educational.
1
@Wes
Trump tells everyone who will listen that there are millions of good jobs.
I live in W. PA and I can tell you that AIN'T true.
And, no coal mine will be opening soon where I live.
Yet almost everyone here supports this criminal., while THEY abuse opiodes (And no one holds a gun to thier head to make them do it) collect Federal and state benefits, and will, by god!, vote for Trump again because "he's all that and a bag of chips...and what about Hillary's e-mails?!?!?!"
PS...Most of Trump supporters can't spell 401K.
Who do you think Trump is talking to when he brags about Wall Street and the stock market?
It's NOT the "little people in PA" who were conned into voting for him, I can tell you that.
Rural areas are pretty much done in the US.
Companies won't locate to ruralia because poor infrastructure, poor internet, uneducated workforce who sits in the bar til 2am complaining about "deep state" whatever that is....(No problem taking a benny check though from the Fed gov)....watching FOX news on the TV in the bar.....
And if you think Trump wants to hear home- spun tales from backwoods PA residents, you're really delusional. He holds rallies in airport hangars so he can get away from the smelly masses in bigly time.
1
As long as some self-regarding, put-upon character from the Keystone State says that the Special Counsel should end his federal investigation into the Russian assault on the U.S. election and any efforts by Trump to aid that assault, then he should end the investigation, by gum.
@dubious...Exactly. Thanks for the complements!
In the immortal words of Bart Simpson "are we there yet".
3
At least it's not about Russia anymore, now obstruction of justice. After that who knows what. Once they dogs have the scent and are unleashed they'll run after in pursuit until they drop dead. Hopefully this fox will have a heart attack first. One can only marvel in awe at such canine obsessive behavior.
2
There isnt going to be any impeachment, there isnt going to be any smoking gun coming from the Mueller Coverup and there are going to be a lot of sad Libs when this finally wraps up.
Mueller isnt even running the show anymore..he knows and others know that these slow leaks implying its a big nothing burger are being put out to mitigate what most people in Flyover Country already know which is that this has been worst attempts at a Coup ever by the deep state backed by the Media Wing of the Democratic Party sanctioned by all those on the left with Trump Derangement Syndrome. Its so bizzare.
Wait and see and have a box of Napkins handy.
2
Every fifth grader in America and most humans on the planet have see with our own eyes, have listened with our own ears have reached the same conclusion without any doubt, Trump is guilty of collusion, obstruction, and conspiracy, which all spell out treason. What's taking over government so long to state the obvious and TAKE PROPER ACTION TO REMOVE TRUMP FROM OFFICE.
1) Trump fires James Comey.
2) Trump, on national television admits to Lestor Holt that he fired Comey to get rid of the Russian investigation.
3) Trump, on national television at the summit, while standing next to Putin on the podium, looks into the camera and says "We...I beat Hillary Clinton".
Is it a coincidence that Melania Trump and her parents were communist in their homeland of Slovenia and supporters of Putin?
4
Ye ole 'death by a thousand cuts'. A few comments by trump mean not much at all but when you sum up two years worth ? Well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
The day trump goes down should be declared a National Holiday. I, personally, would love to see a role in this dark drama played by Mitch McConnell. He has done more than his fair share of damage to this country over the last couple of decades. Take him down too.
8
No crime, no obstruction, no collusion, no evidence, no case.
This article was placed to keep Trump haters happy.
It succeeds in doing that.
49
@Tuco See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Let the good times roll
116
@Tuco then why all the lies about trump tower meeting, manafort lying to Mueller, trumpster fire lies about firing Comey
66
@Tuco
Hardly. Whittacker being asked to switch NY Southern District AGs for Trump? That makes me happy! Especaily since I thought Lindsay was gang material only to find out he couldn;t get re-elected with such responsibility.
15
At least Nixon had American burglars break into DNC files instead of Russian burglars.
And he was smart enough to resign.
14
@Jbugko
We had to get the tape transcripts from the Whitehouse to see how involved Nixon was with the cover-up and obstruction of justice.
Donald Trump has been doing publicly and in plain sight, witness tampering, obstruction, and intimidation both in public comments and tweets.
2
Will Trump be allowed to run for re-election as a convicted felon while still serving out his sentence in federal prison? Asking for all Americans.
15
Devin Nunes of the Central Valley, and the other Republican Representatives Lee Zeldin, Mark Meadows, Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan do not have a foundational understanding of the rule of law. Outing sensitive intelligence sources and interfering in an ongoing investigation that involves a hostile foreign power usurping our elections is a deeply disturbing expression of sheer partisan buffoonery, partisan incompetence, partisan illegality, and absolute partisan ignorance.
11
And with the new bully as AG, Trump’s deceptive tactics will continue. Is impressive to witness all the corruption of this administration. What is most upsetting, has been the Republican politicians hidden reasons to support The Crook in chief. The Republicans have always been... Us against them. In this case “them” all the rest of us. Republicans always see themselves as the real Americans, they have been dismissive of the rest of us. Hopefully Republicans slowly disappear with their hate, racism, entitlement, and feelings of superiority.
1
After two years, the Mueller investigation into possible coordination or collusion between members of the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election has produced no evidence that collusion occurred. It has produced one misdemeanor conviction. George Papadopoulos confessed to lying about his lawful but unsuccessful efforts to set up a meeting between Trump and Putin. He served 12 days of a 14-day sentence.
Michale Flynn’s conviction was not a related matter. He was suspected of violating the Logan Act, not of unlawful collusion to influence the 2016 election.
Paul Manafort and Rick Gates would be headed to prison even if there had been no Mueller investigation. The charges against them are not matters related to the collusion investigation.
Michael Cohen’s conviction on bank fraud and tax evasion charges was also an unrelated matter, except that Cohen got a reduced sentence by claiming he made an illegal campaign contribution to the Trump campaign.
The Muller indictments of Russians who allegedly conducted cyberattacks and a social media campaign to influence the 2016 election did not implicate members of the Trump campaign.
3
William, rational folks can think up many objections to your head-in-the-sand support for Putin's favorite candidate, but here are three quick ones:
1. The phrase "to influence the election" is your own language and is not part of Mueller's brief.
2. Your comment blindly, obstinately overlooks the fact that the investigation is ongoing and has not concluded. No one can make a single definitive statement about its final results, and yet you pretend to do so, over and over again. You need at least to insert the word "yet" in your unjustifiably confident claims about what the investigation has or has not reported publicly.
3. You have no reason to limit yourself to the papers filed by Mueller's office, ignoring the extensive public record of Trump's wrongdoing, and yet you do. Why? As many others note here, the fact that Trump commits his crimes in public does not make them any less criminal. "Rusher, if you're listening..."
How ironical that the Trump administration is currently supporting the outster of Maduro from Venezuala on the pretext of his being dangerous and unhinged.
Regarding Venezuela-- either it is an Administration statement supporting the illegal ousters of national rulers on the side of justice-- which is onstensibly Trump's current complaint against Federal law enforcement-- or it is the voice of democracy and the people speaking and lawful.
Which is being chosen in our current situation at home?
5
Simply put, we either have a dictator who disappears criminal cases against him, or we have a democracy where no one is above the law. Trump thinks it's a dictatorship.
12
Trump is focused upon self preservation and self aggrandizement. He composes his views as the situation seems to dictate in order that his self expression will catch the limelight. He really never looks at anything else with more than passing interest except as it pertains to himself or he can use to focus attention upon himself. He loves being the center of attention. He really craves it.
In fact, he needs all these investigations to have him be the center of attention. If he had to rely upon the work he’s done as President it would not be nearly as good. Mueller et al are the adversaries seeking to bring him down and he as the beleaguered hero never gives up in fighting to prevail.
Look at the rest of his performance and while his policies and executive orders tickles people who want to try living in a state that favors the winners and kicks the losers to the side, he has done a pitiful job as President. He has created a huge deficit from excessive tax cuts and filled the government with people who have advocated for ineffective government to allow predatory behavior to go on Scott free and has made our international relations a mess in only two years with the kind of mentality in policy making that people exhibit when they are shedding stress in bars, coffee houses, and parties. If the daily news cycle just reported and followed up on his performance it office, his approval numbers would be in the twenties at best.
Instead, Trump’s battles are dominating the news.
2
Clearly Trump has been coached and mentored in the process of destroying a democracy. Law enforcement includes the FBI, the Justice Dept. and our intelligence apparatus. He has also upended our media to a large extent, our civilian watchdogs. This are classic moves of a desire for overwhelming power to one source. The Legislature, our Congress has been somnolent in response to Trump’s antics. Trump clearly emphasizes the fact that the Presidency holds too much sway in our government. Some of this power must go back to Congress.
6
There is more than sufficient information in the public domain to warrant public demonstrations and civil disobedience on a scale equivalent to the Vietnam and Watergate eras.
That such isn’t happening reflects poorly on all of us.
If we’re waiting for Mueller to provide a less messy and disruptive, more legalistic solution to the problems posed by our pathologically self-promoting, country-corrupting wannabe “Il Duce,” then we deserve neither democracy nor justice.
Trump himself decries political correctness.
It’s high time we the people dealt with this incorrect (in every sense), despotic guy by showing the extent to which we find him and his administration repugnant and anti-American, if not illegal (strictly speaking).
If one is operating on the level of the law, one is operating well below the level one should be.
6
Thank you for the non-fake synopsis. It is most difficult to cram into a readable article all of the "facts" of the past two years.
This is the roadmap of our current President's vulgarity to truth. It does not point to a smoking gun but simply reminds us of the obstructive timeline Trump has laid out since taking office.
What is most remarkable are the large number of household names that have come and gone over the past few years. I didn't watch Dallas the TV show, but it kind of seems like that type of drama. Yes, you have the typical return characters that are the brand of the TV series and who's names you know and will never forget (Donald, Jared, Ivanka)
But you also have characters that have been killed off so to say but are still part of the script.
The point is that the drama continues much like the investigations.
I can't wait for the Emmy's.
2
Trump had corrupt intent, as this great reporting shows. He will of course lie and deny whatever he thinks he can get away with, so he must be made to testify under oath. There has never been such a corrupt administration. If we don’t want another one, we must get some new laws—and more new people—in place.
6
We have been in a pattern in this country, since 1992, where we change the party of the president every 8 years, without fail. Knowing that, shame on every Republican voter who voted for Trump in the primary. He lied to them over and over, spouted terrible racist slurs about the Mexican government and Mexicans in general, had filed for corporate bankruptcy more than 4 times, and had a very questionable business history including having been involved in over 4000 lawsuits and having business ties to Russia, which are just a few of the red flags that were clearly visible. He also had literally no experience in government. Much of this story by the New York Times would have been generally predictable to any voter who was paying attention during the 2016 primary season, yet the Republicans gave him the nod and it wasn't even close. Among their other potential choices was a centrist governor from Ohio who had chaired the last House budget committee that gave this country a balanced budget. That might be the saddest part of the 2016 election - the candidate who probably had the best chance of uniting some of this divided country came in fourth in the primaries (Trump had 1457 pledged delegates, Cruz had 553, Rubio had 166, and Kasich had 160).
4
Trump didn't create this mess, his outrageous behavior merely EXPOSED IT. Conservative politicians and media have been enabling the quiet dismantling of the rule of law and the value to government for decades. Why on earth would McConnell refuse to stand with Obama to denounce Russian cyber attack on our election? Why didn't Ryan create an investigation of the cyber attack, and create laws to protect future elections? Instead of concern for our national security, they were either silent or worse -- attacked the FBI! The conservative agenda of Power at the cost of patriotism is the true crime.
7
"Mr. President, did you order Mr. Cohen to make the payments to Ms. McDougal and Ms. Daniels prior to the election?"
"No I didn't."
Ooops, he did.
"Mr. President, did you dictate the response from your son concerning the Russian attorney meeting in Trump Tower?"
"No, I didn't."
Ooops, he did.
"Mr. President, do you agree with all of your intelligence agencies that MJB had Mr. Jamal Khashoggi killed?"
"MJB has strongly denied it, so, no I don't."
Ooops, MJB did.
"Mr. President, do you agree with all of your intelligence agencies that Putin and Russia, our most powerful and threatening adversary, meddled and hacked our 2016 elections?"
"Putin has strongly denied it, so, no I don't."
Ooops, Putin did.
"Mr. President you state the majority of U.S. citizens approve of the intended wall along our southern border. Is this correct?"
"Yes it is."
Ooops, only 33% approve.
"Mr. President you state the situation along that southern border constitutes an emergency, and, therefor, needs an emergency order from you. Is this true?"
"Yes it is, but I didn't need to call for an emergency. I just did it because I want to build it quickly."
So, oops again,
So, America, are you going to believe your lying eyes and ears, or are you going to believe Trump?
11
This story summarizes just how incredibly beyond the pale and outrageous Mr. Trumps behavior and actions have been and continue to be. We have an incompetent and corrupt loose cannon in the Oval Office, subverting America's reputation and standing in the world and destroying the fabric of our form of government by vilifying the very institutions sworn to protect and administer the rule of law. And all the while, he continues to enjoy the support of members of his political party and those citizens who support that party, for political reasons. Hypocrites, all.
8
I am going to laminate this article for future reference, but before I do that, I will highlight the names of the many cast of characters....namely Flynn, Whitaker, Spicer, Sessions, Gaetz, Jordan, Meadows, Nunes, Giuliani, Manafort and Cohen. And I will read this article again before I vote on November 3, 2020.
As for Michael Cohen and Jeff Sessions, who would believe they may be the most honorable guys in this bunch of hatchet men.
8
Kudos to the reporters, an impressive reconstruction.
My first reaction is one of complete disbelieve this could ever happen in the USA. And yet here we are. It's downright scary. The GOP level of corruption, lying, covering up for such an incompetent man is staggering.
9
Dear GOP,
When your grandchildren someday are old enough to comprehend the damage wrought by Trump, how will you answer this question?
Grandpa or Grandma, did you vote to remove Trump from office?
8
Collusion with a foreign adversary to overthrow the U.S. Government must carry the stiffest of penalties. The entire Trump family is obviously complicit in a plethora of crimes against America and presents the greatest threat to our Democracy in history. Pearl Harbor, 9/11, Trump.
7
OK. You can't indict a sitting president. But what about Rudy? Who gave him a pass?
7
I recognize a crime family when I see it in action. I see one in action occupying the White House. What else does one need to know?
9
The shaded photo tells us that even the camera knows shady when it sees it. A picture is worth a thousand words.
177
@jdoe212 Unfortunately, we all know that sometimes all those words are lies. Take that Pelosi picture with her split-second microexpression. You can't say that picture told the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Thank you, New York Times reporters, for this amazing in-depth article that tells it like it is.
Now, which of the people in power in OUR political/legal/ military/ secret service complexes will have the guts to put The Con Don, Minister Pence and Traitor Mitch McConnell under citizens arrest, hold them for prosecution for conspiracy to destroy OUR democratic form of governance and put Speaker Pelosi in charge?
She would dismiss all The Con Don's Robber Baron cabinet and regulatory agency appointees. She would immediately rescind all his destructive supposed "executive orders". When he is gone he can't pardon anyone.
Republicans in OUR Senate with any semblance of honor can remove Traitor Mitch McConnell and appoint someone who actually wants to protect OUR Constitution and serve 99.9% of us. Not Graham or any of the other "Good Old Southern Boys". They are in on it.
The Con Don is guilty of abuse of power, dereliction of duty, corruption, conspiring with Putin and no confidence with the American people - or world leaders. Minister Pence is his water boy.
GET RID OF ALL OF THEM RIGHT NOW AND HELP WE THE PEOPLE SAVE OUR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
15
Obstruction of justice attempts are clear.
Additionally, if Trump has attained the office of President illegitimately / illegally via collision with Russia to sway the election, how then is it possible that he is "considered" to be the President?
And how can he be subject/privileged to any of the protections or powers of the Presidency?
Including but not limited to:
A sitting President can not be indicted (as I understand this, it is not a Constitutional Law, but a policy/referendum issued by the Justice Dept. or some other body).
If he is not the President and indeed ** has never ACTUALLY been the President** because his position was attained illegally, How can any of the cabinet, judicial appointments (both the Supreme Court and Lower Courts) he has made be permitted to stand?
How can any of the policy changes he has made: on things like nuclear proliferation, the environment, immigration etc. be allowed to stand?
How can he even be considered IMPEACHABLE? If, legally, he is NOT the President?
Could we all just wake up from this nightmare and see justice served?
9
As this article shows, the old adage that "no man is above the law" has been completely stood on its head by Donald Trump.
In fact we now have the complete reverse situation, where the only reason he is not being prosecuted and indicted is because he is president.
In short, as a matter of formal Justice Department policy, while president, Trump is indeed "above" or maybe more precisely "beyond" the law.
I think what is so frustrating for everyone is that while his cronies are all being jailed and convicted, Trump is being given preferential legal treatment simply by virtue of his office.
As he has done so often in his tawdry career, he is gaming the system for his own personal advantage.
Nothing is more corrosive to our social contract and democratic values than a president who uses his office for personal gain, rather than advancing the common good.
12
A good overview and timeline. Yet I can’t get past a belief this president is being used. Not a puppet master, but the puppet. From the beginning, needing his family members as advisors. Over and over in this article, his advisors, his staff, his changing team of attorneys, change in approach to the investigation.
During that luncheon with Christie, was Kushner parroting the president, or reminding the parrot of the new approach- Flynn fired, it’s over.
As stated, it became a battle of public relations strategy- as a lightning bolt in an airport layover?? To go on the attack, one would assume a campaign to prove no Russian influence, or to take an aggressive posture towards Russia. Instead, it’s to discredit the investigation. It was working, until Cohen- then another switch and he was an enemy.
Over and over, just as with the outside urging for the Wall, a man too easily focused, his paranoia too easily played into- he seems to be ruled by advisors. As a side benefit, sensitive materials, an informant, sought. And with the Wall, military personnel, money- directed towards a pretend threat.
I don’t know his business history, but it appears a lot of people know how easily this president can be directed, manipulated, used for their own ends. Others have surely thought of Rasputin, or many Rasputin’s, but it’s more and more how I see it.
1
Any effort to impeach and subsequently convict Trump will not succeed without support from a significant number of Republican senators. The odds of that happening are probably lower than winning a super lottery prize. Perhaps the only other possible option would be to convince Trump that after his term ends, he and his family will face criminal charges and that he should resign as some sort of plea agreement. It's also unlikely that Democrats want to enter the 2020 election having wasted over a year in a vain attempt to remove Trump and not have anything to show for having a majority in the House. So, unfortunately, we're stuck with the orange nightmare for two more years. And, if you think it''s bad now, imagine what's going to happen when he loses in Nov, 2020.
5
I will wait at the least for the results of the investigation before making a final judgment about what Trump did or not, but, given leaking and how eager most of the media is for his downfall, I tend to believe that if there were anything solid, we'd have heard it. We'll see. Sometimes you never know for sure.
I'm an independent who rarely votes for either party (usually moderates reviled by their own party - e.g., McCain) and certainly didn't vote for president. I may not like Trump, but I like the "resistance" far less as their blind hatred has made the country even more divided. I no longer trust the media to report political news honestly. If anything, the constant drumbeat of the "resistance" for impeachment, the distortion of our system by having an investigation whose purposes seems to be to "get" the president, the difference between the way the Clinton email investigation was handled and the way this investigation is handled, the unconscionable behavior of the Ds in the Kavanaugh hearing, and the move towards socialism in the D party, has made a seemingly unlikeable president more sympathetic, the lesser of two evils, for now. This is worse than the attempt to impeach B. Clinton impeachment, worse than the Rs not even giving Garland a hearing.
Yes, I know where I'm writing and most others disagree. And, of course, Trump brought a lot on himself by campaigning in such a way that even some Rs hate him.
WB Yeats unwittingly described the current Republican Party (with rare exceptions) and its presidential head when he wrote:
"the best lack all conviction/while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
That says it all.
6
This is all just getting so old. Trump is unfit for the presidency. The End. No innocent person would protest this much. No true patriot would say the things he continues to say against our own government, our own country. Whether or not the public becomes privy to all of the findings of this investigation, the fact that so many of Trump's close colleagues and friends have been indicted says it all.
9
Good grief!
" ... a familiar tactic for Mr. Trump, who has been struggling to beat back the investigations that have consumed his presidency."
It isn't the investigations that have consumed Trump, it is his own criminality.
There is little difference between Trump and John Gotti; from here the teflon is looking a bit thin.
4
"Mr. Mueller will have to make judgments about the effect on the country of making a criminal case against the president."
this sentence better written as:
Mr. Mueller will have to make judgments about the effect on the country of NOT making a criminal case against [THIS] president.
Trump needs to be made an example out of. His fate should be memorialized in the annals of US presidential history. Any future President who tries to subvert the rule of law should fear the consequences.
8
The new Attorney General was the same person who, as Attorney General once before, recommended to George H.W. Bush that all the Iran-Contra miscreants be pardoned. Rod Rosenstein is leaving, the person named for his replacement has no Justice Department experience, but is a crony of Mr. Barr. The top positions in the FBI in counterintelligence have been decimated.
This man has decapitated our system of justice and filled the White House and Cabinet with corrupt officials, with the singular help of Mitch McConnell. We don't even know that we have the recourse of the courts because these two have packed those with people with an ABA rating of "unqualified".
At some point, our country needs to make a decision. Continue to put up with this dismantling of our system of government on behalf of a foreign adversary, or ejecting those responsible. But the Republican Party is beyond redemption, and the executive branch needs a perp walk sooner than later.
9
Fantastic article. A truly unique piece of journalistic propaganda that will be studied throughout history as a prime example on how the establishment turned the victim of an unprecedented witch hunt into an oppressor.
2
In light of the recent revelations coming from McCabe, it is the high-level functionaries in the DOJ and FBI who are attacking Trump. They were evidently discussing his removal from office. I see their actions as part and parcel of the policy of resistance that the liberal establishment proclaimed. The goal of this policy is to undo the results of the 2016 elections. This policy is really against those millions of Americans who elected and are supporting Trump.
I never did think much of Trump, but I am really surprised with that so many of the elected Republicans have fallen in line with him.
5
Lest we forget the republicans who have aided and abetted the downfall of democracy in America.
6
Based on the evidence so far as well as the people Mr. Trump surrounded himself with during the campaign and the transition, it appears he is guilty of obstruction at the very least.
Add to that, Director Mueller knows much more than we do. I find solace in that.
6
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice
to deceive.
Trump started his campaign with a lie.
But then he started believing his own lie.
But two things that stand out:
(1 )I would never have hired Sessions if I had known he was going to recuse himself
(2) And the fact he hired Barr because Barr had written something indicating he felt the Mueller Investigation was (an) overreach.
To me, Trump is saying that he feels as if, because of his status as president, he is infallible and can't be questioned.
He wants to be surrounded by 'yes' men all around.
But what I have gleaned from Trump's past is that he is trying to handle the presidency the way he has handled his many business quests.
Complete with lawyers and judges who would do his bidding.
Which brings to mind another problem with Trump.
He doesn't mind pulling anyone down who have helped him in the past.
All of those court rulings that have been found in his favor, if there was any payment involved to any judge, how do they know that Trump isn't going to brag about it in the future.
He's that kind of guy.
If he goes down, so do they.
Trump just isn't worth it.
2
Why do news people or prosecutors ask what "The White House" said? The White House is merely a building that has no power of speech. The question should have been what the "president" or some representative of the president said. Since the White House can never speak, the president's spokespeople can always say "The White House" never said "that" even when the president himself said the very thing they are denying the "White House" said or didn't say. Congressional Reps investigating executive malfeasance should always refer to persons by name and not use "The White House" to substitute for a person.
1
An attack on the Justice System is an attack on WE the PEOPLE!
“We the People... do ordain and establish this Constitution.”
Abrogating the Constitution is an attack on WE the People.
Undermining the Justice Department is a direct attack on the Constitution which We the People have ordained and established.
And this is being done from the White House. With the support of a GOP Senate.
This destruction of our Constitution cannot be allowed to go on. It cannot go unpunished.
We the People formed a UNION. DJT is breaking it.
Our Justice System DEMANDS a reckoning: for the crimes; for the cover-ups; for the conspiracies; to the last iota.
4
When Trump finally has to testify under oath, will someone ensure that he has READING glasses to eliminate his excuse used during his last taped legal testimony.
3
For those who support Trump as in comments in this stream, I ask this. Those of you who are from NYC who lived through 9/11 up close, are you really ok with Trump et al giving nuclear technology to the Saudis after most who took the towers down were from Saudi Arabia? Yes, the head of the Saudis knew. So do not excuse them not knowing.
6
Question: a "democratically elected president?" You see, that was not the case. He lost the popular vote, and does not seem to want to realize that. He does not have a mandate; never did; lost the House of Representatives in 2018.
Dirty Don gets to soil the White House because of the legal equivalent of a vestigial organ: an electoral college that guarantees state's rights (even though this issue was at the heart of the Civil War, and the South lost).
Dirty Don gets to stay in office because 'fly over states' such as Montana and Idaho have disproportionate representation in the Senate, a chamber where one person, who may have garnered half a million votes, can filibuster and otherwise halt progress (remember Jim Bouton)? You know, the Senate, where a Joe Lieberman can get re-elected and then go 'lame duck' and thumb his nose for 5.5 years at those he was supposed to represent (while lobbying for the big pharma outfit that employed his wife).
5
The weight of evidence against Trump is like the balance between a lead weight and a feather.
4
Yes, Trump is the worst. No question. For me. And Maggie H whom I admire immensely.
However...... 80+% of Republicans think Trump is doing a great job and a very large part of the population. THAT is what disappoints me and I confess to simply not understanding. If one reads the NYT comments section we are largely preaching to the choir. Where are the supporters on here making their voices heard as to why none of this matters to them? I really would like to understand.
6
By most accounts Mr. Trump did not expect to win the 2016 election, and he did not really expect to be President. At his now iconic meeting with Mr. Obama in the Oval Office, we all could see that Mr. Trump was a bit shell-shocked.
I am by no means excusing the behavior of a 72 year old man who quite suddenly found himself in a place that he was, by his own admission, ill-prepared for.
But, even as we all poke fun of the aberration who sits in the White House, let's not expect the leopard at this stage of his life to change his spots.
157
@Frank J Haydn I hear that in prison they love leopard print. They find it kind of sassy. I would never want the don to lose this part of himself.
29
@Frank J Haydn Right. But let's hold him as accountable as any President would be. Let's not provide favors or cut slack.
47
@Frank J Haydn
I don't think anyone one would classify this as "fun"..
Incompetence, immorality, and corruption are not some behavioral aberration of a "shell-shocked" 72-year old President..
They are a threat to the fabric of our country, and should be treated as such...
61
Social Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to investigated possible collusion between the Trump campaign or Trump associate and Russia to influence the 2016 election or any matters arising from the investigation. After two years, the Mueller investigation has produced no evidence that collusion occurred, so the investigation is now focus on "related matters."
The Mueller team is now investigating persons in Trump's "orbit" or Trump's "galaxy" in hopes of discovering indictable offenses. It's like the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" parlor game in which players tried to find links between the actors and other actors and actresses. It also fits the definition of a witch hunt.
@William Case
Have I got a Manafort, Gates, Flynn, Stone, etc. for you!
3
@db2
The charges against Manafort, Gates, Flynn, Stone, etc. do not implicate the Trump campaign and are not evidence of unlawful collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The charges against Manafort and Gates are totally unrelated to the 2016 election. Stone was not a member of the Trump campaign when he allegedly contacted WikiLeaks or when he allegedly lied to Congress about his contacts with WikiLeaks. Stone is charged with lying under oath, not collusion.
Trump repeats nonsense that there were no serious interactions between Russians with the Russian government and himself nor anyone acting on his behalf from the start of the investigations and he repeats it. Even as those interactions are slowly uncovered he repeats it. The Republicans heading the Congressional investigations refuse to follow up on leads to cut short their investigations and Trump repeats it. As time goes on more and more facts are established of more and more interactions and he repeats it. Trump admits that he listens to Putin over our win professional intelligence and military, and he repeats it. So when anyone today asserts that their was no collusion, one wonders why anyone could say that with seriousness.
Trump is worse than Nixon and his crimes more serious than Watergate. He appears to have little concern about how history will judge him. He just wants to save his skin and remain in office as long as he can, because it could protect him from a possible indictment. In order to avoid an impeachment, he resorts to nefarious tricks to demonise law-enforcement agencies and those involved in the many investigations, in order to discredit their findings.
“Mueller is now slightly more distrusted than trusted, and Trump is a little ahead of the game,” Mr. Giuliani said during an interview in August.
“So I think we’ve done really well,” Mr. Giuliani added. “And my client’s happy.”
Any president with a sense of integrity and respect for his office would never do what Trump does.
62
Truly a disturbing article - what is left for the country to learn about Trump’s misdeeds?
For those readers who recognize how important it is for Mueller to complete his investigation without Trump interfering, please sign the following petition sponsored by Moveon.org addressed to The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate, which says:
"Please support the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act — bipartisan legislation to protect Special Counsel Mueller’s Russia investigation, sponsored by Senators Graham, Booker, Tillis and Coons. American democracy, the rule of law and election security demands this bill be passed."
https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/support-bipartisan-legislati?source=s.em.cp
25
Impeachment can't come soon enough. Here we have the most corrupt, evil, immoral president in the history of our country.
49
Honestly, at this point it's either that the President is guilty of obstruction of justice or he isn't. One way or the other the public needs to know. We have been inundated with this investigation and Trump's angry rebuttals for almost three years while the governing of this country has taken a back seat. In my opinion, the guilty doth protest too much, but we shall see. In either case, the drama, which unfolds daily on the world stage, is outrageous and needs to come to an end.
14
Sure seems like there is overwhelming evidence that he tried to obstruct the investigation.
2
Look out, people. Since the Republicans in Congress did not rein in the President and he has little fear of them, there will be come kind of divergent action planned to take our minds off the legal issues. Of course, that does not change the legal issues, but this President does not "get" that. He could invade Venezuela, for example. Or something worse...
15
@Kuhlsue
It was just announced that Putin has threatened to target the US with nuclear weapons if there is any antagonization from us. A true wag the dog moment if there was one. Distract both sides with fear of nuclear war and both Putin and Trump can get away with anything they wish.
1
It has been an exhausting and nerve wracking few years. The longer the Mueller investigation drags on the worse it gets. There are plenty of grounds for impeachment, even without Mueller's final report, which might not help anyway, especially if it's kept secret from the public. The emperor has no clothes. He is totally unfit to govern this country. Time to face facts and do something before more damage is done. I'm tired of all the politicizing. For the sake of the country, Congress needs to do the right thing, and figure out a way to make sure this doesn't happen again. Are presidential candidates required to have thorough background checks? It's no wonder DT wouldn't release his tax returns. Trump had plenty of shady business dealings way before he became a presidential candidate. He's always been a man without a moral compass, but apparently millions of Americans were/are okay with that.
20
@Ginger Walters: It is beyond belief that people who voted for Trump without seeing his tax returns can stand to see themselves in mirrors.
3
Trump has transformed the presidency into his own personal
gold mine. He has not disclosed his tax returns. He has a
loyal base that gives its ok to whatever he does. Maybe he
will just pardon himself. I expect Trump to never be prosecuted
for any of his crimes.
15
I find it quite sad to have to say this about other "human beings" -
If we were to look at all mankind as a single organism - then Trump is the Stage 4 Cancerous Tumor threatening our very existence.
We need to Surgically Remove this Cancer from our world:
"Doctor" Mueller - Please report to O.R. 1 !
But there are complications to this most necessary operation.
There are many other metastasized tumors in the way, as represented by far too many GOP Legislators who have clearly turned their back on "mankind" - Thus also a threat to our existence which MUST be removed.
Sad, very sad !
20
@Leonard Dornbush: The US formulates its public policies with no regard to their effects on public mental health.
The only thing missing in that photograph with this article is handcuffs on Trump.
The Trump Whitehouse is starting to remind me a lot of the Nixon Whitehouse hunkering down during Watergate.
It's not much different when Nixon said during Watergate, "People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got." and now, it seems history is repeating itself.
In Trump's case, not only do the people need to know whether this President is a crook or not, but they also need to know if he's been compromised by the Russians.
In Trump's case he's doing it in broad daylight in public comments, and tweets, not behind closed doors.
It's time the public get a good look at Trump's tax returns and investment records for the last 25 years to show he has no ties, conflicts of interest or indebtedness to Russian Oligarchs or Chinese banks, and prove he has nothing to hide, he's been acting like a sleazy guilty man with everything to hide.
Something smells in Washington and it's not coming from the swamp, this time the stench is coming from the Trump Whitehouse.
I'd also like to know exactly what kind of self-dealing is going on with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, involving their personal business dealings as members of the government, something smells there from the high heavens.
23
@Chico: Nixon drank whiskey. Trump only binges on Diet Coke.
This reminds me of why I am so tired, numb and unsurprised at Trump's escalating antics. I hope that our nation (and the world) can weather this storm. What a dark time.
27
As dismal and damning as this news is, my long term concern is the complete absence of laws that might prevent another Trump from being elected president. There’s no reason to believe Congress will pass strong legislation requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns, divest themselves of their business interests, prohibit family members from becoming White House advisers or making them ineligible to sign GSA real estate leases that benefit them financially.
Worse, in the unlikely event Congress *did* pass such laws I’d imagine some right wing think tank will challenge their constitutionality and get the Supreme Court (in a 5-4 decision, of course) to overturn them.
And I haven’t even mentioned the outrageous reality that half the country (and an entire political party) shows zero concern that Russia interfered in the last presidential election and will continue to do so at least as long as Putin is in power.
Trump’s not the problem. He’s merely a symbol of our staggering inability to agree anymore on what’s right and what’s wrong.
19
“effect on the country of making a criminal case against the president”
What concerns me even more is the effect on the country of NOT making a criminal case against the president!
Think about it: crimes not even named? crimes not prosecuted? crimes just left there - hanging in the air? a criminal just left free - without any consequences? the nation left to sort through a disastrous period under a deranged, lawless, bullying, norm-breaking, egomaniac - clueless and arrogant at the same time? inexperienced and incurious? impulsive, imperious and spiteful? untrustworthy and demanding of loyalty?
And we should just go on..... without ever sorting through this in the courts? Bereft of any accounting?
How can one go forward, unless one looks backward to gain perspective? And how look backward without a moral reckoning? Without a legal framework with which to measure the criminality and its effect upon society, the environment, our institutions?
Weigh all that against doing nothing.
13
@TheraP: Government evolved to establish rational rules for fractal relationships whether people understand that or not.
Yet another in-depth investigative report from the Times. Thank you.
The hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper. When in god's name are we going to be rid of this man? Anything he touched in the private sector failed, and he was kept financially afloat thanks to family money bailing him out time in and time out.
The nation is in political purgatory. Where are the checks and balances??
18
Thank you NYT. All Schumer and Pelosi would have to do to begin the countdown towards impeachment is to take this article and many others and lay out the case for high crimes and misdemeanors.
The simple fact is that Trump has been impeachable from day one, because he refused to divest himself of his business empire, which immediately put him in the position of using the presidency as a cash machine to benefit himself and his business allies.
His attacks on law enforcement and journalism are also impeachable, part of obstruction of justice.
The charade of allowing him to remain in office so he can stack the federal courts and SCOTUS with right-wing lackeys, gut the EPA, sell off our public lands, interfere in small countries that never pose a threat to us is terrible.
Nancy Pelosi--BRING IMPEACHMENT TO THE FORE NOW!!!
15
Good luck trying to nail the “Teflon Don” . It seems the evidence piles up but .... he keeps on ticking .
He’s the new age John Gotti , who couldn’t be touched until he could. Let’s hope Trump gets busted out soon and we can go back to some civility and we can end all this drama
16
The most laughable thing here is the conservative posture that someone is subverting a "democratically elected president". This is the land of the electoral college, where a candidate down by over 3 million votes can claim office. This is the land of the Republican party, which uses an endless parade of excuses, lies and illegal tactics to keep people it doesn't want away from the polls. This is the era of a Putin finger in every piece of American pie. For Republicans to complain about a "coup" attempt on this fraudulent squatter, and with straight faces no less, is a new high in projection for the world's most successful election thieves.
23
Trump is such a prolific liar that I don't even care to listen to what he has to say about anything, as nearly everything he utters----with the exception of the word "i" is totally false. What is glaringly apparent is that Trump and the cabal known as the House Freedom Caucus: Mark Meadows, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordon, and Andy Biggs all lied when they took their oath of office--- clearly they did so under purposes of evasion
for they are not defending the US Constitution. Simply treasonous. Keep chipping away, NYT for the House of Trump will soon implode. Believe me.
19
@Zdude Sorry to say Gaetz is a fellow Floridian. But some of us don't claim the panhandle anyway, instead calling it LA -- Lower Alabama. Google him and see that he doesn't really belong in any elective office. And poor Jim Jordan. Won't somebody please buy him a blazer!
3
58 million Americans follow. Trump on Twitter, and we can assume that does not include those who support him who don't follow him on Twitter. How is it possible that this many Americans are so taken by a professional conman who is overtly amoral, overtly criminal (fraud, re: his university), mean in spirit and rhetoric, a man who is clearly morally compromised in literally every way...that is really what scares me. The GOP has created a monster, and it isn't Trump. Trump is a symptom.
10
“Following” is not the same as “supporting “
2
Continued violation by a president of the Emoluments Clause would normally be headline news but with Trump it just gets lost in the noise.
19
“Democratically elected president.” No he’s not.
19
How could a country as large and successful as America be so disgraced by one individual?
No other president has denigrated the country to this low level!
Shame on the Republican Party for supporting this poor excuse for a president.
24
It's obvious from his statements and actions Trump has crippled relationships with allies and embraced autocrats. He has placed this country in vulnerable positions globally and nationally through obstinacy, greed, ignorance, hate and his utter stupidity. Mr. Mueller, US institutions and the American people have been subject to abuse, betrayal and arrogance by this President. In order to restore honor for ourselves and on the world stage should this investigation reveal crimes were committed by anyone including the sitting president they must be prosecuted because no one is above the law. That would tell the world our Democracy does function and can be restored.
11
It's all out in plain sight. The Times did an excellent job laying it all out in context and along a timeline. That most of this is happening over a steady stream of headlines over two years has inured everyone. Trump and his crew are criminals, and the conspiring congressmen and senators are part of the organization. It's organized crime in pain sight.
12
Trump is now trying "to pull a Christie:" escape to the end of his term unimpeached and unindicted, while subordinates go to jail for crimes on his behalf.
Yet Trump is doing everything he possibly can to force the Democrats in the House to impeach him, and to alienate Republican Senators who will hold his survival in their hands.
As "individual 1" Trump committed felony violations of FECA, and felony money-laundering and tax-fraud. Neither the Clinton nor Edwards precedents apply here. These are far more serious crimes than perjury over adultery in a civil lawsuit (that is rarely prosecuted at all, and the longest sentence on record is 6 months). Edwards got off because it wasn't his money and he couldn't be proven to have even known about it. Trump committed direct conspiracy and paid Cohen criminally to maintain the coverup.
It's worth remembering that 5 Democrats in the House voted to impeach Clinton, and he came very close to being removed.
Clinton didn't win the presidency without winning the popular vote, in an election tainted by Russian interference. Clinton didn't have a raft of his campaign and administration officials and his personal lawyer headed to jail.
Democrats are waiting for the Mueller investigation. There may be further bombshells from other directions too. Trump & co may end up indicted in NY state.
But the predicates for impeachment are available right now.
9
Given that he is the President, every time he opens his mouth to complain about an investigation into his actions, he obstructs justice. So, there are over 1,000 of these, publicly made. It's long past time, to quote the President himself, to say "bye bye". Then the problem will be Pence, who is a fundamentalist extremist; good luck to us all on that, as he seeks "the rapture" for us all.
11
Please--no more ridiculous comments stating how enured and desensitized we are to this tragic Presidency.
For me, it's like a severe migraine--I have to lay silently in a dark room while praying it will go away.
But despite two plus years of investigation, no relief.
15
Donald Trump maintains he is innocent in all things. Why not encourage and empower the investigations into the alleged wrongdoing of him and his family? It would make his vindication all the more unequivocal and final. Trump's actions are not those of an innocent man. His outrage at the mere suggestion that he should be questioned or held accountable hint at a life lived outside, if not above, the law.
11
@Christopher M
He always maintains his innocence even when he is paying out of court settlements, when he's being sued, well times have changed for Trump, and he needs to be held accountable for his life of corruption.
Donald Trump has a pattern of labeling every one of his opponents with derogatory and insulting names, all of which in every instance apply more aptly to him in spades.
7
The tragic truth is Trump supporters do not care about any of this. In fact, with each new Fresh Horror, his gang of thugs becomes more intractable in their undying and seemingly bottomless fealty to him.
Future historians, psychologists and sociologists will have a field day with this dark period in our history.
10
Why is this man who is destroying our country is not soon to be arrested or some legal order coming down on his head? My family, friends, and neighbors cannot understand why or how this man is still free. What is going on? Why is this man walking around completely free? He is guilty on many accounts yet absolutely nothing is being done. We are becoming sick with disbelief that nothing happens. HOW MUCH LONGER MUST WE WAIT?
7
@Nightwood
"The very rich are different from you and me" They are above the law.
2
So? The big story is that fealty to Trump was the sine qua non of his (successful) Supreme Court nominees. If any of this gets to the Supreme Court, Trump's got a Get out of Jail Free card from the highest court in the land.
The fix is already in, ladies and gentlemen. Mark my words, the fix is already in.
6
@sarasotaliz
After a dictator rigs the ultimate judicator in the land, the Supreme Court, the road to fascism and martial law is wide open. People (non-Republicans) disappear in the night.
I didn’t vote for Trump and likely won’t in 2020.
But I wonder if this paper will itemize its own efforts to bring down this wayward president.
Nearly everyday there’s either a new leak, summary or itemization of evils this president has wrought. I imagine there is a large group of journalists and editors whose sole everyday activity is to investigate, summarize, write or edit stories about Trump.
I’m not saying that these stories are not mostly accurate, or that they don’t have a right to do this. They are probably accurate and they absolutely have a right to do this.
But I wonder if journalists have some kind of public responsibility not to use their power of influence to sway public opinion towards an agenda of the papers owners and managers.
And it’s not just the daily negative stories. Even the arguably positive things the president has done are either ignored or cast in a negative light. The criminal reform bill was ignored, his progress in de-escalating tension with North Korea, and in withdrawing from Syria and Afghanistan are only criticized. As was the NAFTA renegotiation.
CNN, Fox and MSNBC are no different. And those of you who think the New York Times is above this are deluding themselves. They did everything in their power to derail Trump in 2015, and they are doing it since to ensure he won’t be re-elected. I’m sure most readers of this paper are loving it. Anything to get rid of this president is fair game.
But is it right? I expect more.
5
@Steven Roth have you found a news source which you feel IS actually "Fair and Balanced". If so, I'd like to watch/read that one also. In the meantime, the NYT is doing a pretty darn good job.
2
PBS Newshour
1
Last night, Kellyanne Conway once again hinted that the official report of the Mueller investigation may never be released to the public. Was AG Barr installed by Trump not to stop the investigation but to bury it?
The comments section here shows how divided our country is especially on the issue of Trump's actions regarding the Russians.
If no report is made available to the public, how is our country going to heal?
Just as the GOP was (and is) disappointed in never being able to charge Hillary, they had investigations which were finalized and made public. Sure they claimed they just hadn't finished but the public was aware of the findings and even the GOP had to accept the conclusions wether they liked them or not.
The Democrats are now in a similar place. How can they accept the Mueller conclusions and findings if nothing is released? They may not like it either but they WILL accept Mueller's investigation.
How will all of us move forward if we have no idea what in fact did happen and who did what?
If Trump is as pure as the new fallen snow you would think he would want that report broadcast far and wide. He would feel the sweet victory of proving the naysayers wrong, wrong, wrong!
Are we meant to forever remain in an awful limbo of not knowing and stewing in our convictions?
I certainly hope not. The people of this country need answers. We need the truth.
5
It's just bewildering that the lies and secret dealings just keep coming and coming. Now it's secret deals to sell nuclear plans to Saudi Arabia? Have we already forgotten Osama bin Laden?
11
Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation are, from what I understand, good tactics when you're attacked. They say you're supposed to fight back, not just take it. You have to defend yourself in court, for example. But is this a smart strategy when you're stopped for a speeding ticket, or when you are being investigated? He's flipping, flopping, and flapping around like a hooked fish. It's like he thinks he could land in jail.
6
Unfortunately the Mueller report will have to be written in a cardboard book with crayons and big pictures to tell this story to Trump's twitterverse. They are unable and unwilling to connect dots, draw conclusions and think critically. With Rosenstein leaving in mid March this report is coming and soon
6
But when does anything get done about this criminal? We get stories about it happening but no one does anything. I am getting tired of waking up to new allegations everyday & no indictments, no solutions, no party impeachment or censure or 25th Amendment. WHY? What criminals in our government are still protecting him? This is not a dictatorship to be protected by all or die. This is a democratic country bound by laws & The Constitution of the United States of American.
Put up or Shut up! Someone do something because he isn't going to resign quietly.
8
Americans must not allow themselves to become desensitized to the outrages of our criminal president and his corrupt administration. The onslaught of reporting on Trump's thuggish behavior is overwhelming. The vision of the founding fathers is slipping away inch by inch. Stay angry and insist that Congress do the work they swore an oath to do. Call, email and keep the pressure on. 202 224 3121 www.house.gov
7
This just gets deeper and wider as the days go by. Congress needs to do its job and rid the US and the free world of this menace. Trump is steadily walking our country to the edge of the precipice.
7
We deserve everything we are getting with Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States.
Maybe next time voters will think a little harder about what their vote truly means, instead of seeing it as a reactionary statement to something or someone else. The American voter is like no other; vapid, thoughtless, reactionary, child-like, gutteral, superstitious, easily-swayed, easily-manipulated. A ferret.
Essentially the American voter is a pet ferret taken out for a walk every fourth year.
5
This portrait of egregiously sinister behavior is the finest piece of investigative journalism I have read in recent memory. If Trump is neither impeached nor prosecuted for obstruction, it would be an enormous travesty of justice and pave the way for future corruption.
8
This web of deceit and criminal behavior really does make Watergate look like a “third rate burglary.” Mueller can’t finish this investigation quickly enough.
6
nothing says GUILTY like a years-long stream of shifting stories of denial and obfuscation. President Trump, like all of us, is considered innocent until proven guilty. so, if he is so innocent, why does he go out of his way to act so guilty? why don't his wise advisors tell him to shut up already?
6
When asked yesterday about this very article and if he had directed acting AG Whitaker to intervene on the president's behalf in the Cohen case. Trump looked like a deer caught in the headlights, he cast his gaze down, unable to formulate an answer...after a long pause, he blurts, "no, fake news."
For a man that lies as much as he does he is terrible at it. He would be an awful poker player. How anyone can see Trump in action and believe anything that comes out of his mouth is shocking. What is wrong with his base?
11
These investigations are not going anywhere. The people who Schumer and Pelosi represent do not want to see a constitutional crisis. Impeachment does not benefit Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Facebook or Google.
Crying wolf for another two years will only hurt the New York Times' credibility.
1
@CLA
Doing nothing is even worse!
This is exhausting! I’ve become so wary of every new person who willingly enters the Trump orbit. Whittaker’s comment that his role was to “jump on a grenade” (it’s not his role) only fuels my concern. All eyes are now on you William Barr.
This article confirms that Trump is fulfilling his campaign promise to be that guy who could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters.” My question to my fellow Americans is, do you really want to be that voter?
8
I doubt I would ever consult Trey Gowdy for advice. He did advise 45 publicly not to act guilty if he is innocent. This article illustrates the 57 varieties of guilty acts 45 pulled from his pantry of nefarious lies, smears, and obfuscations. I am not a psychologist, but I have taken numerous courses in psychology in college and graduate school. I wonder if 45's narcissism masks his low self esteem and if that self image is projected onto the Executive Office of POTUS. We know he has no empathy for people of color who are victims of storm or violence. This article shows he also has no empathy for the integrity of the office and service of POTUS.
7
The fact that the Acting US Attorney General (US, not TRUMP Attorney General) says his job was to jump on a grenade for the president - is especially disturbing. He saw no allegiance to the country or duties of the office, only the man sitting in the oval office. Sickening how they stick together in their conspiracies. Sounds exactly like the president - what can you do for me if I do for you?
11
A family found guilty of missappropriating funds from a charity should never be trusted.
13
So tired of this man and his blatant obstruction of justice.
Time to lock him up, throw away the key and hope our country can move on.
8
I thank these four NY Times journalist for this excellent piece. Your “5 W’s of journalism" afforded me much needed clarity regarding this tangled web of corrupt actions executed by djt, the man who tries to remain once or twice removed from it all.
I was relatively young during the Watergate scandal, but I do distinctly remember these shocking words spoken by 'Tricky Dick' and djt agrees;
"Well, when the President does it, that means that it is not illegal." — Former President Richard Milhous Nixon
History has proven that Richard Milhous Nixon was a criminal of the highest caliber and Donald Johns Trump is a manifestation of the same.
It was through the diligent, fact-finding work such as NY Times journalism team that Tricky Dick was finally exposed. Keep on digging, keep on reporting because the reign of this man and his posse of 'blind monkeys' must come to an end.
6
Yet another display of Trump's personality and total self-absorption.
4
Several commentators to this article express exhaustion with the process and wish for a "quick" ending. The implication is that the evidence is obvious and trump needs to go, but that the process drags on.
Mueller has the "A" Team working on this matter and they are investigating an International Organized Crime Syndicate that has been in existence at least a decade in the making. The members of that Syndicate are obstructing the investigation while the investigation is underway....let that sink in. If the Syndicate could, it would end the investigation, but it cannot.
Add to the mix that certain members of the House and Senate are also obstructing the investigation....let that sink in.
The point of Obstruction is to "exhaust" the opponent and to "drag out" the investigation. People who complain about the lack of speedy resolution are either uneducated in the process of Obstruction, or part of the problem itself -- wanting a conclusion before the resolution.
Keeping the heat on eventually boils the toad. Let trump simmer some more.
973
@Allen82 Let's not rush Mueller, but there's no reason not to begin the impeachment process now on multiple potential charges that aren't in Mueller's bailiwick. The process begins with House committee hearings, committee recommendations, House debate, and then a House vote--all before the Senate begins work. Mueller can add potentially devastating reports during the process and likely be decisive.
40
@PJR
I agree with your dual-track plan. My observation was directed to those who have some pre-conceived notion that an investigation into corruption of this magnitude (while the target obstructs the investigation) should not take as long as it has taken to this point and feeling exhausted should be a factor in a speedy resolution. Those same people will also complain that the House Committee process has "take too long", forgetting that the Republicans have obstructed that process for two years. By all means, let the House proceed with all deliberate speed.
30
@Allen82: Justice deferred is justice denied. In the long run, we are all dead.
11
The most alarming part of this story? That Trump has "58 million Twitter followers," most of whom, presumably, have nothing but admiration for a man who will undoubtedly go down in history as the worst president in the modern era. Is Trump our only problem? No, there are 58 million more.
26
@billsett He bought those Twitter followers, they cost less than 2 cents apiece on the internet.
Use the search term, 'Buy Twitter Followers'.
6
Jared Kushner and anyone else at the luncheon are naive if they truly think things are over because of the resignations stated in this article. The investigation of Trump's relationship to Russia will be ongoing for many years and will eventually because Trump's legacy. What a way to leave office.
At least three things need to be considered. Although Trump holds the cards on his power to pardon, he must realize that by pardoning someone, that person cannot claim the fifth amendment. This could make things worse for Trump. He must realize that the job of the AG is to uphold the Constitution. Jeff Sessions knows this and did the right thing by recusing himself. The new AG William Barr said that a sitting president cannot be indicted for firing an FBI agent. Barr did not totally exclude indictment for any collusion. Trump took an oath to uphold The Constitution and his loyalty to any other country shows he does not live up to his vows. It is time to call for impeachment which just means "brought to trial." If Trump is not guilty of wrong doing, he will not be convicted. Impeachment is the only way the Russia probe will be put t to rest.
7
What Mueller may end up revealing may not be confined to US domestic politics; some of our most closely held intelligence sources, means and methods may also be exposed.
Further, to fully describe the scope of the investigation will call for Mueller to reveal issues in other countries, specifically Russia and Saudi Arabia, that illuminate the banks laundering money world wide.
3
This is an excellent summation of the criminal actions of the worst president ever and the actions of congressmen to aid and abet the criminal in chief. The only missing observation is the reason Trump has not been removed from office, the surrender of the Senate by the majority leader, but that was addressed in another piece published on 2/19/19.
These are dangerous times and the damage done to our democracy will be long lasting. We cannot wait for the verdict of history. Trump and his criminal cohorts should be removed from office as soon as possible.
12
Are the American people seriously willing to put up with more of the same, and who knows what else, from 2021 to 2025?
This reads like the escapades of a mob boss. Absent for the United States constitution we would be living in a Marcos-style police state or one that resembles the current Russia where President Putin is above the law, and no prosecutor would think of filing charges against him for corruption.
9
It works both ways. The new GOP governor of Fl, one of Trump’s best buds has already replaced 3 elected officials with those more of his liking. And he was upset when he couldn’t fire an appointed School Board leader.
5
Since His Orangeness can hardly open his mouth without creating another obstruction of justice, it's clear that the Mueller investigation will have to continue until he leaves office.
After which, I will be greatly surprised if he is not awarded an orange jumpsuit in appreciation for his service.
10
How many times do media investigations and DOJ and law enforcement investigations have to prove Trump is running a criminal organization and he is owned by a foreign power? The longer he remains in office the greater hold he has on this country and the more harm he is doing to us. If it were not for the compliant and complicit GOP and some in the media, Trump would have been ousted from office months ago. These investigations are great and helpful to making more Americans aware of just what is going on, but unless and until there is some action to make Trump and his administration accountable and remove him and them from office, work like this has no practical or useful value. Same with the Mueller probe--until it forces some kind of accountability, it's interesting but not very useful.
5
1621 comments and counting counts for a thoughtful piece. I’m reminded that for lay persons like me how helpful it is to realize how long and painful the path to truth takes because of all the untruths laid in obstruction. I liken it the scenes from Blazing Saddles where a character Mongo declares “Mongo is but a pawn in the game of life”. That being thought, isn’t good to have insight into the obstacles and to find the resolve to stay informed on the path to conclusion. By now we realize d-trump’s strategy is one of truths openly deflected regardless of exposure to their falsehood. Often d-trump and team lies are so blatant they defy shame and as planned engender diversion from the issue at hand. It goes to a Russian negotiation tactic that is “start so low as to dash the opponent expectations” in search of “I got you gave”. At some point even the most ardent of d-trump supporters will come to realize the need to abandon a sinking ship. 2019 will be a year of truths undeniable. The higher the peaks in the graphs the closer truth - trumps - power abused.
3
"Privately, Mr. Trump tried to remove Mr. Sessions — he said he wanted an attorney general who would protect him"
trump just doesn't understand that the office of AG is to serve the citizens of the US of A not him personally. This POtuS thinks everything should be about him.
I just don't understand how people can support him. He is an anti-American who, unfortunately, sometimes occupies the White, now Black, House. He believes everything that putin says and nothing that our own security agencies say.
He must be ousted as POTUS. I was not in favor of impeachment but now, with all of the evidence of "wrongdoing," impeachment must be put on the table.
Yes, I understand that the Senate GOP members will stifle it but at least it will be a start in the right direction.
Our only hope is for both the House and the Senate put the Democrats in the majority come 2020.
Please, everyone must vote in the coming election.
6
This thing is so mind boggling that I've lost track of who did what, who is currently on Trump's hit list even who is acting attorney general. Doe's anyone else feel this way? All I'm really sure of is that Trump has broken the law and he should be impeached.
8
Great photos and article, thank you!
3
Regardless of how this plays out, Trump will never see time behind bars. No matter who eventually becomes president, Trump will be pardoned even if he is guilty of crimes - just as Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon. Ford's reasoning was a long, drawn-out trial would only have further polarized the public.
Pres. Trump fires Comey replaces him with McCabe, a Comey acolyte, who not only continues the "counter-Intel. investigation" started by Peter Strozk in 2016, but expands it. Where is the obstruction of justice that resulted in the "removal-of-a- duly-elected-president" discussion between McCabe and Rosenstein?
Secondly, during Mr. McCabe secret testimony before Congress, McCabe failed to inform them that he had also started his own criminal investigation of a duly elected president over Comey's firing.
So, no, Congress did not acquiesce to McCabe's criminal investigation of a duly elected president because it was never informed he had started one.
1
@batazoid: James Comey put Trump over the line by hammering Hillary with Anthony Wiener's purportedly newly discovered computer in the week before the election during early voting in swing states. Where is Comey now? Enjoying a South Pacific cruise?
1
@batazoid
May 9, 2017
When the president fired Comey on Tuesday, the White House released a memo from deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein that criticised Comey for mishandling last year’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.
May 11, 2017
“And, in fact, when I decided to just do it (fire Comey), I said to myself, I said: ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story, it’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should’ve won.’”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/11/donald-trump-james-comey-firing-russia-investigation
Donald Trump didn't "get" the memo. President Clueless didn't understand that he couldn't fire an FBI Director to end an investigation of Russian meddling that could involve him and / or his staff.
You know those staff who got Trump elected and the plotting Russians, batazoid. The ones indicted or plead guilty or in jail; AND OF COURSE, the ones cooperating.
Evidently some people remain unconvinced that Trump has been actively obstructing justice. Most of them also argue that Trump and his team did not collude with Russia, and some even still say they don't care what Trump's financial records show. This baffles me. But do we not all agree that blatant dishonesty is unacceptable in our elected "leaders"? Don't bother to tell me how "every politician lies," or to point out individual falsehoods that previous presidents have told. If "Everybody does it" isn't an excuse for a teenager, it certainly doesn't fly for the highest office in the land. Constant dishonesty makes one completely untrustable. Even Trump's supporters should demand honesty and accountability from him. For crying out loud, don't we all agree we are entitled to the truth?
8
Collusion with Russians?
Your article outlines everything except collusion with the Russians. The outline actually outlines the results of a witch hunt.
I didn't even vote for the guy.
1
The article is about "Trump’s Two-Year War on the Investigations Encircling Him." What made you think it was about Trump's collusion?
6
Sometimes the guilty go unpunished. The devil's best trick is to convince us he doesn't exist.
2
Once all the investigations are done and blame and penalties are distributed to all involved the next steps are essential. This unfolding disaster cannot to allowed to happen again, no matter who is elected in the future. As we are seeing, history may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.
New laws, even including Constitutional Amendments, must be enacted to ensure we —America— do not find ourselves in this situation again. The powers granted to a president may need better controls. Congress must not be allowed to tolerate and rubber stamp the actions of a president for political reasons. And there must be ways of removing a president who is a danger to America, our allies, and even the planet.
We can get there, but whether America learns from and acts on what we are seeing play out under this administration is what will determine the future of this nation, and whether we will have any place in the leadership of the world.
492
@Noley
Agree. A Special Prosecutor is a bad mistake. Witch hunt or not, it goes on far too long and often ends with indictments against those who don’t cooperate sufficiently.
We learned this lesson with Nixon and Watergate. Many then said “Never again”, but Congress has little memory and an adversion to hard political work.
Simply said — there are systems built into the Constitution for these things. If Congress would only do their job. There is no Special Prosecutor in the Consttution.
3
@Noley Today I am submitting the below proposed Constitutional Amendment to Colorado Members of Congress and asking them to co-sponsor a Joint Resolution to Amend the Constitution of The United States.
Joint Resolution to Amend the Constitution
Presidential Pardon
The President shall be denied the power to Pardon any person convicted of a crime against the United States that is associated with, connected to, or beneficial to the President or a political party.
The President shall be denied the power to Pardon any person convicted of a crime against the United States if the conviction occurred during the President’s term in office.
The President, like any other citizen or non-citizen of the United States, is not above the rule of law, and can be indicted while in or out of office.
The Vice President, should he become President, if the President resigned or is impeached by the House of Representatives and removed from office by the Senate of the United States, shall be denied the power to Pardon any person convicted of a crime against the United States if the conviction occurred during the former President’s term in office that he/she replaced.
42
@Noley
We already have a mechanism that should prevent this from happening again, it's called the Constitution. The problem is that the Republicans in Congress are not doing their sworn duty to protect the public by enforcing the Constitution. You can pass all the new laws or make additional amendments to the Constitution, but if the people elected to enforce these laws don't do their job then you end up where we are now now.
Trump could have be stopped by the Electoral College, but instead of doing their Constitution responsibilities they rubber stamped Trump's election.
After Trump is taken care of there needs to be another investigation to include all those that have enabled him in his illegal actions and aided in their cover up.
24
You know, like how all innocent people behave.
20
Let’s see.
• Trump’s criticism of the DOJ and the FBI to date: 1,200 and counting
• Trump’s criticism of Putin: 0
So of course to Fox News, the GOP, the Evangelical Christians, the MAGA crowd, this makes him not a traitor but a patriot.
33
You're forgetting that Trump has been tougher on Russia than any president in World History. We know because he says so, though there's the tiny matter of how, every time he's taken even a baby step, it's either because:
1) Congress made him.
2) His spy chiefs shamed him.
3) All our foreign allies blamed him.
There's also the minor bit about Trump plotting to: give Russia back its U.S. spy stations; withdraw Obama's hacking sanctions; restore rights of Putin's buddies to bank and vacation here; ignore congressional mandates to impose his own penalties, and then reverse even his own tepid fig-leaf measures to slow his BFF invasion.
As Rick Perry would put it, "Ooops!"
2
@Opinioned!
Makes no sense, until you realize that many many people - the believers - think emotionally, which is fake-thinking.
In the old days this was not a problem; it was random and the wrong thinking canceled each other out, but now interests with money and power and access to media fund active psychological operations to polarize emotional thinking.
Spinning was first used to defend their special interests. It's now evolved into a weapon used to preemptively attack fact-based reality (“No, I don’t know who gave you that, that’s more fake news”) then replaces it with an alternative narrative "that sounds better." This is the sophisticated lying that Trump and despots are genius at.
Money and power manipulates our emotional thinking with institutionalized lying, backed by well-placed intimidation, pressure and humiliation as adjuvants if necessary as when attacking scientific researchers.
We and the world around us are being continually softened up. Moneyed powers control our emotional thinking and they are constantly at work securing their interests.
The concentrated money and power of income inequality is far more than unfair distributions of have and have-not (that is old thinking); they are existential threats funding targeted viruses, infectious super-bugs that affect our reality. We can't see them but they are killing us.
@Opinioned! -- I'll never understand the thinking of these people. It's like they've take up residence in backwards upside down world.
My husband and I watched the fascinating movie about Hitler in the bunker last night called "Downfall." In his raving, Hitler, played by the magnificent actor Bruno Ganz (who died a few days ago), becomes more and more detached from the reality that Germany is about to lose the war. The parallels with the current madman in the White House and the pathetic enablers around him could not be more apropos.
25
From the article: On Tuesday, after The Times article published, Mr. Trump denied that he had asked Mr. Whitaker if Mr. Berman could be put in charge of the investigation. “No, I don’t know who gave you that, that’s more fake news,” Mr. Trump said. “There’s a lot of fake news out there. No, I didn’t.”
Yeah. Right. Fast forward to Trump being asked point-blank on Air Force One whether he knew about Michael Cohen paying off Stormy Daniels and the Playboy Playmate and his answer was the same, a blatant lie that he knew nothing about it and reporters had to ask Michael Cohen.
Look at his face on this occurrence when the reporter asks him the above question. You can see his eyes shift ever so slightly, a marker of a lie-in-progress.
24
It will be Robert Mueller's patriotic duty to reveal all that he has discovered after his heavily redacted report is issued. That will be the nail on the coffin we need.
14
This article beautifully illustrates the extent to which the current occupant of the WH has gone to obstruct justice. No wonder Americans are so overwhelmed that we’ve lost sight of how bizarre it is to have a president who doesn’t profess his unwavering commitment to support the FBI, CIA and special counsel in their quest to uncover the truth and bring those who committed crimes to justice. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear the leader of our country say something like, “It is imperative that we protect our democracy, therefore, I pledge to do whatever I can to facilitate and support the special counsel’s Russia investigation and I will instruct all members of my administration to cooperate fully.” It is stunning how far we are from the likes of such a normal and ethical presidential response.
20
trump's constant attacks on American institutions our intelligence agencies, law enforcement, the press - are a clear and present danger to the Republic. Those politicians who enable and even encourage trump's attacks are sadly mistaken in their belief that their actions will be rewarded by political support. trump does not care about the Republican party, party members or the country. trump cares only for trump.
8
I don't know whether the Republican's assertion that the Russia investigation is politically motivated is because both the Benghazi and Clinton email investigations were obviously political or whether they really believe that the an investigation that has already resulted in 34 indictments is also. They should note that their investigations cost millions on dollars and showed no results unless you count electing Trump.
7
Every day Trump remains in office sets a dangerously low bar for future presidents should they too choose to commit nefarious deeds in office. In other words, if Trump can get away with this much for this long, then how might that inspire any successor to do the same if not worse? As someone who lived through Watergate, I felt tremendous pride when our government—Democrats and Republicans—took action to rid the Oval Office of someone who daily fouled it with his criminality. Trump makes Nixon’s actions look pale in comparison. So Republican Senatorial collusion with Trump—looking the other way as Trump daily compromises his country with its greatest adversary—makes me both anxious, as this betrayal continues unabated, and asking, “What new calamity will befall us as we wait? If the GOP hopes to have any future whatsoever, it must help to rid us of this dangerous man.
11
It is clear that President Trump believes that any legal problem can be quickly and quietly managed by simply engaging his network of cronies and sycophants. It is probably safe to assume that this belief is based on a lifetime of successful efforts in this regard.
The question then becomes, How many high crimes and misdemeanors has President Trump committed over the years that were never properly adjudicated and far will his Republican allies go to protect him?
7
It never ceases to amaze me how the New York Times finds it necessary to divide the nation in order to turn a profit. In a divided country it would be helpful if one of your reporters could tell “the other side of the story.” There seems to be a general agreement that every story has two sides. How is it possible that a country can elect a president that more than 80% of the media opposes? Something just doesn’t make sense. There is indeed a bigger picture here than who slept with who and whose feelings got hurt and who might have embellished what they said. The future of the country is at stake as it plays with socialistic ideas that can take us down, post birth abortions, an any-thing goes Supreme Court, a lean toward legalizing drugs, a penchant to police the world, and a country gone amuck on immigration simply for political purposes. History may not treat Trump well but in the years to come I have little doubt that history will treat the times in which we live as journalism’s darkest hour.
3
Pure whattaboutism, unless by "the other side of the story" you mean the Russians' account of Trump's conspiracy and obstruction. Because Putin must be a major beneficiary of Trump's obstruction of justice.
3
@Confused -- 1 + 1 = 2 ... no "other side" exists (in the algebra of either the fields of rational or real numbers or the ring of integers ... to avoid comments about Galois fields etc from math pedants)
Your confusion is that you conflate facts with fiction, and insist that your views define reality.
"socialistic views that can take us down" ... means what?
"post birth abortions" ... are against the law, and always have been.
"an anything-goes supreme court" ... you must be joking.
"immigration simply for political purposes" ... these immigrants aren't coming here for any purpose other than their own.
This leaves legalization of marijuana and the strained history of the post WWII pax Americana as issues you raise where reasonable dispute exists.
I suspect that traditional journalism will come off fairly well in history's view; FOX and internet conspiracy mongering will not.
1
I have respect for different views, even yours. I just find it hard to believe that a plethora of Times readers wear blinders and have no desire to hear anything other than their own biased views. This unwillingness to hear other views also extends to college campuses. Even with what I consider moderate conservative views I would surely hate to be a student or professor on campus today.
If the concept of “one man one vote” is a baseline for democracy, one could reasonably argue that Mr. Trump was not elected “democratically” (after all he lost the popular vote by some 3 million votes). On the other hand, due to the nature of the Constitution and the requirement for an "Electoral College", it is obvious that Mr. Trump was elected legally. Thus the term "democratically elected" is a misnomer, and reference hence forth to his election should be "legally elected".
6
Within 5 months of the administration's mis-conception, gone were Trump's new national security adviser and FBI director. His attorney general, second FBI director and special counsel would swiftly follow, if he had his way. Turns out this law-and-order president, from the law-and-order party, clashed with his - the nation's - top law-and-order leaders.
The Trump administration is like a snake that must constantly shed its skin to stay alive, though from underneath emerges a creature still more venal than the previous. Sorry, Chris Christie. The "Russia investigation," even when it's finished, will still mark only the end of the start of our criminal president's legal woes.
8
At this point I'd say it is up to Republicans in the House and Senate. Remember how long it took them to finally cut Nixon loose? How much longer are they willing to let a President whose only real interest is in himself go on?
6
No innocent person would object to an investigation not anything about them. That is basic. To deny that is to establish that you are more than willing to be led in any way. Putin counts on that.
7
Chris Christie wasn’t charged in “bridgegate.” But I ask, who can remember the names of what’s-her-name and what’s-his-name that were?
Any Chief Operating Officer knows fundamentally, that when underhanded methods are to be used, that it can’t be his or her hands involved. Our current president has a long history of utilizing underhanded methods in his business ventures but it’s never his fault. He will be cleared of any wrongdoing while his campaign manager and everyone else around him is or has already been charged. He will claim victory and crow as long as the microphone is on. But he will forever own the shame and the sham of his pathetic wasted opportunity as President. His remaining supporters left to make excuses and blame others as their leader has taught them to do.
His irrelevance and complete lack of accomplishment will be his ultimate legacy in American history.
Congratulations New Jersey for correcting the error. The Nation is not far behind you.
2
On Barr - "Many officials there hope he will try to change the Trump administration’s combative tone toward the department, as well as toward the F.B.I."
WHEN will people learn that trump will NEVER change? he was never going to "grow" into the presidency, or to act "presidential."
This article sickens me, first, the actions of Trump's treasonous enablers, and second, knowing that this will not have any effect on the people who belong to the cult of the Mad King.
7
First of all, Trump was not democratically elected. Trump lost the election by almost 3 million votes and was installed by the Electoral College, a most undemocratic institution, a legacy of our slavery days to appease former slave holding States.
Our country is being ruled by a crime family intent on stuffing their own pockets as they sell out the country to the Russians and the Saudis. No less than the survival of our country and Western Democracy is at stake here.
9
A factor few consider: What if our president is actually mentally ill? He seems to have all the characteristics of a classic Narcissist. He believes other people are stupid and can be easily deceived because he himself is a master of verbal acuity. Best President Ever.If he says he is innocent we must believe him. How could we not? I am the most successful man who ever lived, I and I alone determine what is true and false. Anyone contradicting me is either and idiot or out to get me. Ironically, when these subservient fools fall on a grenade for him, he has no use for them anymore. He sees people as mere instruments for his bidding. They are not people to him--they are things to be moves about on a board. This disease was no problem when he ran his own companies, when he was boss. But he's experiencing contradictions here, people are challenging him, they are offering him different versions of reality. In the past he would fire them, but now he had to deal with the idea that he is not master of his universe. Before this is over, we may see some catastrophic reactions. He could start a war to prevent us from seeing who he really is. He will not go down easily. He will drag the whole country down with him before he admits he may not be the greatest president ever.
10
And Trump is still in office, damaging the country 24/7
Will someone fix this issue?
Trump is dirty, money laundering, obstruction, Treason, and getting away with it
11
Trump is a crisis. His power grab, his criminality, his lies. HE -- and the Republicans' failure to perform their oversight duties -- is the national emergency.
Thank you for your reporting! This is why I subscribed.
10
Trump should serve as long a sentence in jail as his former campaign manager - if not longer.
And his skinhead "acting" attorney general is also a criminal.
Next time he's questioned, have a prosecuting attorney question him while he's under oath.
Same goes for the felon sitting in the oval office.
19
They’re ALL criminals. My theory of all of this is that the investigatory trail ends up at a giant washing machine in Trump Tower that has been used for the last twenty years to launder Russian money.
1
Let's remember, Richard Nixon did not get impeached (he resigned because he knew he would be) because of the Watergate Break-in, but for the cover up.
Trump has helped congress get all the ammunition they need to impeach. I do not think the Republicans are stupid enough to double down when both the house and senate will be up for grabs in 2020.
The House will wait until it is close enough that Republicans are going to bail.
The Chump will be impeached and I think in this case you will not see a Gerald Ford like pardon, because allowing the locals to feast on the outsider's carcass is what many not just in the US but around the world will need.
It will also send a message to the other dictators.
14
If this happened in a foreign country, and was reported in the USA, readers would rightfully think it's a story from a banana republic or a right wing fascist state. Loyalty oaths, undermining the rule of law, denigrating the media, weakening or abolishing institutions, a cult of personality, family members in prominent positions, blind obedience to a corrupt leader, and a party wholly owned by that corrupt leader. This couldn't possibly happen in America.
22
Before Trump exits the presidency I believe Putin will annex Florida in the winter. Why not? It’s another peninsula like Crimea into warm water with lots of Trump/Putin supporters aka snow birds, pickle ballers, oligarches, etc. Litlle green men carrying boatloads of green money will parachute into the state and establish Mara a Lago as the capital. The heck with digital manipulation, go for the jugular.
6
How many more times do we have to read a rehashing of the same story? 2 year old accusations and trite rhetoric by the Times.
Trump has not been charged. Give it a rest and report on some actual news for a change e.g. the economy, LIC post Amazon, Kavanuagh’s opinions as a sitting justice, profile the candidates for mayor of NYC be, etc.....
Enough already with the non news opinion column that you’re attempting to pass off as real news!
2
@George: It takes experienced negotiators just a few minutes to know what an utter waste of time dealing with Trump is.
@George
The NYT wouldn’t have to if your Republican representatives would take the heads out of the sand and do the right thing. Ok, I’ll settle for obedience to their oaths of office.
3
@RjW: They took their oaths to God, not to the people, and not to equal protection of the law.
1
What’s up with the line of Chinese gliphs under ‘the four take aways?’
Is there any possibility The Times could put say ‘sources named’ at the top of the occasional story that actually is journalism as it used to be? That should eliminate the rumors constantly masquerading as news like this.
1
This will go down in history as a far greater scandal and constitutional crisis than anything prior. And the financial crimes and self enrichment schemes have not been revealed to the public yet in America . It will make Nixon look honest by comparison !
21
In Mueller We Trust
hurry up already
21
@Bern Price
His mandate is to investigate and indict, not to publish a long report. Don’t get your hopes up for that.
2
The photo accompanying this article makes Trump look like a mafioso chieftain heading to a meeting of criminal dons. There were perhaps a zillion photos of Trump your editors might have chosen that were less prejudicial.
But then, The Times wouldn't have registered its point, would it?
@Bob Orkand: Interesting that your mind went there. That’s not what I thought of. I read the caption and just thought it was atmospheric. Maybe your mind is unconsciously trying to tell you something...
9
It's an appropriate photo. This is not a story about the Easter Egg Roll and shouldn't be illustrated with an 8x10 glossy supplied by the Donald. It's a story about Trump's Mafia-style obstruction.
Thank you for summarizing this disturbing situation. The public has become numb with the constant barrage of lies and misinformation from this administration. In any other time this type of behavior would be acted upon quickly and a President removed from office. Sad comment on the attention span of the American public.
34
He is at war, yes. We are learning that entrenched bureaucrats decided they knew better than the electorate. If Trump weren't as strong a fighter as he is, the deep state would have taken him down and none of us would have been the wiser.
We should thank him.
2
For the life of me I can’t figure out why he’s so afraid of this investigation..could it because he is a lying corrupt president?
10
@AACNY
The mob and many other gangsters also had the support of gullible, amoral people like yourself, but they hadn't thought of attacking law enforcement as "the deep state" yet.
They just attempted to bribe them or frighten them.
Trump is a lifelong white collar criminal.
The deep state is the rule of law.
10
@AACNY: who is this deep state you speak of? Are these the ones who destroyed Hilary’s chances by saying they had opened an investigation into her?
All these people did was to open an investigation and ask some important constitutional questions. Please make it clear if there is anything they did that was not constitutional? I haven’t seen anything.
4
The initiation of an investigation of the President by McCabe was not an accusation and could well have resulted in a complete exoneration. As such , should have been welcomed by all Republicans.
15
I'd like to suggest the NY Times and other serious and well-vetted media, stop calling Mr. Trump, his supporters in Congress, the right-wing talking heads, and others in the Trump camp, "conservatives." There's nothing conservative about anything connected with the current administration.
We cannot refer to actions that directly undermine the foundational institutions of the country as conservative.
We need another term, one that more closely describes these politically and morally corrupt people -- "deplorables" comes to mind, but that's taken. Any suggestions?
20
@Michael Jonas: Would fascistoid reactionaries do?
4
All the hullabaloo in this article is about a sham charge of collusion with Russia. Never in the history of the nation has the news media collaborated with the socialistic agenda of the losing party in a presidential election and relentlessly hounded the victor in unison.
For all practical purposes, our president is an independent leader with little formal allegiance to party politics. His actions have inexorably upset the familiar order in Washington. The establishment has been unable to deal with it yet.
The only mistake made by Mr. Trump so far is not to decisively go after Hilary Clinton and fulfill the promise of locking her up.
1
Sham investigations? Other than all the clear evidence circling him or the 34 indictments of his work associates..yeah I suppose you could look at it like that
8
One would think that if someone's closest aides were in contact with the enemy (the Russians have proved many times in the recent past that they are not our friends) that person would want to be cleared if he was innocent. Why has Trump attacked politicians, the media, and our intelligence agencies over and over again if his hands are clean? Sure his base will believe anything he says and even, in his own words, shot someone on 5th Avenue at high noon. But will the rest of the voting population needs to be convinced. Does he understand that his base is not enough?
11
Donald Trump also got rid of Preet Bharara, the US attorney who was hot on the trail of his shady business dealings with Deutsche Bank and Russian money laundering and other shady business with Russia. Bharara was sneakily fired as part of a group, so it was not obvious to be highlighted. That alone could convict him.
18
What I find most amazing is the way in which Trump does a criminal or obstructionist behavior openly, then just openly lies about it as defense, gaslighting Americans in the most insidious way. And now he takes it further, saying "see, i did it openly so how could I be obstructing?"
Gaslighting, making us believe what we see isn't what we see, what we know isn't what we know, is maddening, insanity in action.
A madman is in charge, and he's very good at making people believe his own lies and illusions.
Whenever and however this madness ends it will be such a relief. And perhaps then we should have some sort of national conversation about truth, and how important it is and how easily we can be brought down by lies and liars. And how the truth sets us free. Freedom and democracy depend on truthfulness. That's why we take oaths, hands on religious or other special books; we put our hearts and souls and integrity as people into telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God. It's so important that truth be told, it is the essence of our land.
Donald needs to be set free, hold him to the truth that is so illusive for him.
Thank you NYTimes for telling us the truth and holding Donald Trump accountable to the truth.
22
One can only imagine what Robert Mueller has, considering what we've seen and what reporters like these have uncovered can only be the tip of Mueller and SDNY's iceberg of crimes and other malfeasance by Donald Trump. As an aside, I scratch my head at how tolerant of apparently perjury Democrats have been, namely Justice Kavanaugh, who clearly lied throughout his hearing testimony regarding his high school behavior (which in fact became the issue for me, that current day, a man who wants to be seated on the SCOTUS perjured himself to get there, and reportedly prior to that, never mind his breaking the Rules of Judicial Conduct with this partisan, venom-spitting, clear hatred for specific people rant), and now Whitaker. Whereas Republicans impeached a president over a fib about a thoroughly irrelevant affair in a civil suit which was thrown out for having no merit. Why shouldn't Trump, McConnell, and the GOP continue with their thuggish ways? They are never held accountable, and it seems the right wing electorate in this country even likes the "It's different when we do it, evil, immoral, and illegal when they do it" ethos of the Republican Party and Trump.
20
They love the chaos and the racism.
I don’t see much new in this article other than the quotes from the Christie book and an analysis of Trump’s comments. You keep breathlessly quoting unnamed sources saying Trump did this and that. Again you report that Trump has committed this offense and can or will be prosecuted for that offense. Examining the public comments of a man known for hyperbole and bluster is not a real investigation of the facts. It’s been two years and despite your wishing and hoping, we’re no closer to an end of this presidency. Yeah, I don’t like the guy either. But the lack of objectivity in this article is frustrating. The editorializing makes it hard for a reader seeking the truth to sort out the administration’s real corruption from the inexperienced and/or unorthodox manner in which it conducts itself. Get back to me when you can convey the gravity of the situation without inserting your obvious bias.
2
Try reading the first paragraph again. And the Administration's corruption is part and parcel of its incompetence.
1
Are we scared yet with all evidence pointing to trump being a Putin asset? The question is why isn’t McConnel and Graham showing any concern for our country’s sovereignty? The money must be followed!
16
"But this is far from a routine criminal investigation, she said, and Mr. Mueller will have to make judgments about the effect on the country of making a criminal case against the president." Really? Should we not consider what would have happened if a Democratic president did what Trump did and is still doing? What's the effect on the country for not booting Trump out asap?
16
"Mr. Trump’s lawyers add this novel response: The president has been public about his disdain for the Mueller investigation and other federal inquiries, so he is hardly engaged in a conspiracy."
that still screams "OBSTRUCTION!"
12
It is not Trump's war it is the Democrats war. As we are finding out little by little, like pulling teeth, the investigation into Trump for Collusion and Obstruction of Justice were started by people in the real "Deep State" and supported by Democrats who paid for the infamous unsubstantiated "Trump Dossier" that was plastered all over the left leaning news media ad nauseam to take down Trump. I don't know what the SC is going to conclude specifically about the two main charges that got the Trump investigations going but I am beginning to suspect he has not found anything incriminating against Trump. Logic gained from past says if there was anything incriminating it would have been published already by CNN or the NYT.
1
@NYChap, the Mueller Investigation is not over so how could you think that based on all the other evidence thus far?
3
@kay Read what I said more carefully. "I don't know what the SC is going to conclude specifically about the two main charges that got the Trump investigations going but I am beginning to suspect he has not found anything incriminating against Trump. Logic gained from past says if there was anything incriminating it would have been published already by CNN or the NYT." Basically when something against Trump is discovered it gets leaked and printed in NYT or is reported on CNN.
Talk about treasonous behavior? The complicity of some elected Republican officials in the ongoing tearing down of basic Democratic principles and the legal infrastructure of this country is monstrous. Those involved should go down in ignominy and be shunned in their home districts.
33
This country is currently being ruled by a minority. The recent poll numbers showing massive disapproval of the wall and the sweeping Democratic win in the midterms are both telling and compelling. The tide is about to turn. "About to" could mean a decade or two but turn it will. The ruling minority - from the richest calculating oligarchs to the lowliest, mindless yahoos are scared of losing power and privilege and will fight to the death to preserve it. Expect it - the dirty tricks, personal slurs, voter suppression, conspiracy theories. But numbers and time are on our side.
29
Those that love this land cannot but weep when they behold the deplorable length to which we have fallen, led into the pit by this most loathsome leader, meanwhile our enemies rejoice as the most noble aspirations of our republic lie buried beneath the old demons that have claimed so many great civilizations. God help us help ourselves to renew the dreams of our fathers and mothers.We must cross the Delaware again, we must march again , Hand in hand, all creeds and colors. Our survival depends upon it, The world depends upon it. Our better angels, We must fight again to uphold what is good, what is right,what is just. How can this so called president enjoy any support? Have we all gone blind and mad? His very nature represents all that is against the better nature of this country. Unite or die.
40
There is a comment comparing Obama to Trump. I'm sorry guys, but its like comparing black to white; there is no comparison. Obama was a real president, this one is only a sham. I'm so disappointed the Congress and Senate have let him get away with it for 2 years.
39
The Constitutional framework of our democracy is meaningless if there are sufficient numbers of Americans unwilling to abide by it. Are you reading this, Republicans?
It is abundantly clear from this reporting and the events of this Administration over the past 2 years that belief in the rule of law, adherence to democratic principles, pride of personal character, and integrity have been totally forfeited under Donald Trump. One man is destroying our nation, aided and abetted by a hopelessly corrupt political party.
Anyone wishing to provide their children and grandchildren with the hope of a wonderful life in the greatest country in the world - America - must renounce the Republican Party and ALL of its representatives in 2020 if that dream is to be realized. Left unchallenged, Trump, his congressional sycophants, and his mindless “base” will destroy this once-vibrant democracy.
32
In reality, just the opposite is occurring: the plethora of radical Democrats seeking to run for President have socialist philosophies that could turn us into another Venezuela. Be careful what you wish for!
1
Confused indeed!
@confused
Oh no! Not that!
I truly think this has become hilarious. In the 2 years that President Trump has been in office, there has been more investigations about what he supposedly has done then the 8 years of Obama and the 8 years of Clinton combined. Investigating the payouts to women before the 2016 election, really? Nothing was ever done about the payoffs to the women Clinton assaulted. What about all the residents about Obama and the drug use, the dead people that keep turning up with the Clinton's, Obama bowing down before the king of Saudi (which is a major no no for a president to do to his country but what a Muslim has to do.)
It is time that we as a country treat all our politicians equally. Also, we need to ask ourselves if what these politicians are doing is any different from what we as people would normally do. I'm not pure and innocent and I never expect our politicians to be either.
Trump is our President. We need to back him and support him like we had to do with Obama.
3
@William Oh, this is all Presidential Harassment, eh? Just forget about the man behind the curtain, Dorothy? There's no place like home.
6
@William
We will back Trump when he starts to back us. When he stops putting his interests above the American people. Fair enough?
3
@William: Yeah, let’s back and support your president like the Republicans did Obama. I have this beatiful bridg e to sell you, the best!
4
Americans have to face this reflection from Trump's behavior.
It's much bigger than Trump, the chosen enabler by theft.
7
Lying Comey, McCabe, Stzrok, Paige and even Mueller himself are part of Comey's cabal of treasonous attackers of a duly elected US President. They go on scandalous sanctimonious book tours to hide their inappropriate behaviors.
1
Great report. And as is evident to people dealing with the US from abroad this is all that he is doing - consolidating his own overreaching power at home - nobody is performing the duties of a sitting president of the US. Surely he needs to go The harm is without measure at this point already.
12
Mueller needs to get it done. It’s taking too long.
5
Has it occurred to you that he might have nothing to report? After two years I am beginning to agree with Trump that this may only be a witch hunt. Will we still be looking for witches in 2025 when Trump finishes his second term?
1
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...
I find it ironic that DJT likes the name 'Don'. In his own rhetoric he frequently plays the part in a Coppola script where he appears to see himself as Michael, the up and coming Vito. Like Michael he is no Vito, rather simply, a wrecking ball. Who else will go to jail for him? It makes the Nixon era epithet of 'All the President men' seem quaint. The bus has arrived. Be careful as you cross this road.
5
He's no Michael. He is an even more inept Fredo wannabe.
1
@Dan Yeah, I didnt want to go there. But yes, I suspect no one will take DJT fishing.
Trump’s psychological “tell” has always been the obvious one of high schoolers: call the other person what you are. Thus “Hillary Clinton started the birther campaign,” “Hillary Clinton should be drug tested,” “[I’m] no pawn [of the Russians]; you’re the pawn,” and so on, ad nauseam.
The one that always struck me most, in this light, was calling Hillary Clinton “the most corrupt candidate in history.” It’s becoming clear why he insisted on that.
30
I will say it again: If all of this political and legal sewage surrounded a Hillary Clinton administration, where would all the Trump defenders and apologists be on that? Well, this we know: Impeachment proceedings would have begun in the House LONG before the 2018 mid-terms, and Hannity, Limbaugh, Colter and company would be endlessly spewing day after day, hour after hour, on the intolerable fact of the administration's remaining in power. Their hypocrisy is beyond breathtaking.
29
@Peter Tenney Believe me, after watching Trump in action in New York City for my 40 years living there Hillary Clinton would not factor in the least of my disdain and this president's actions.
If you desire a Union Of States with a plantation boss at the helm who privatizes jails and then builds laws to make the business thrive then I hope you spend a few years in a crossbar hotel with him.
4
@Peter Tenney It wasn't enough for you when House Republicans opened a case to investigate the handling of the Clinton case using the FBI?
Did you even read this article?
1
And folks this is our President. I hold my head low in shame.
Beware "Anyone can become President of the United States"
17
Too bad this will do nothing to stop Trump's corruption or illuminate the reality for his blind followers.
7
Could you have created a more uber dramatic, film noir photo for this column? I will bring it to my students to show how to biase a column in different ways.
3
@SecondChance
Funny you should mention film noir.
Film noir (noun): a motion picture with an often grim urban setting, photographed in somber tones and permeated by a feeling of disillusionment, pessimism, and despair.
I think the Times made an excellent choice of images to illustrate this article. And I think the second phrase in the definition above perfectly describes how many of us feel since Trump became president.
No bias. Just the facts.
3
@SecondChance Yes. I'll be doing that to for my own Business School Masters students as well.
I'm going to have a great deal of difficulty not showing my own bias in the forthcoming discussions. At least I will know how to spell the word that defines a prejudicial rhetoric, or indeed a remarkably astonishing photo graphic that summarizes, without words, more information than could normally be expressed in a 'column'.
This image is highly likely to survive both the President and indeed the photographer. It is just that good.
Don't you know you are going to be accused of Presidential Harassment here?
The Trump Organization is not the only squirrels scurrying around hiding their nuts.
Mitch McConnell does a little hop and skip every night as he nears the completion of burying Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid. His nuts are our money.
Chuck Grassley dons a cardigan under his coat while he stores away his nuts from the tax cuts tree he secured from all this in the amount of billions of dollars in inheritance taxes he and his fellow furry friends won't be paying.
Orrin Hatch uses a bulldozer in Bears Ears opening up other National Monuments to hide his nuts.
Of course Jeff Sessions planted his acorns to grow big oaks within our system of justice, perfect to shade out any real forum in the legislature, his nuts will bear fruit in his stacked courts long after he is gone.
Clarence Thomas scampering about after chowing down on a meal of nuts he discovered romping through the forest with the freedom and liberty to drag anyone into court who might slander him in the future the way that Anita Hill did in the past. His nuts have staying power roasted in and with the help of Bif Tanner our newly appointed beer drinking squirrel in the Supreme Court, nobody will ever question where and how their nuts are combed.
Yes, it is a forest of trees where you cannot even see Citizens United over there at the top of the hill, all the piles of nuts stored inside doing the work of the people, for the people.
6
Did Whittaker jump on a grenade for the president? Will anyone remain loyal to Trump during this war against the president by the Fourth Estate and the American people? Investigations are looming into Trump's possible obstruction of justice; his alleged relationship with Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, the forthcoming revelations of Special Counsel Mueller's "Russia Investigation", his revealed campaign monies payoffs for NDAs with whom women he'd had affairs. These issuers are just the tip of the iceberg aimed at our president.
Is the war against Trump - like Watergate Redux -- in full bloom today as was the war against Richard Nixon in 1973, before he resigned the Presidency in 1974? Social media crunchtime today didn't exist in the 1970s. Will the viral memes against Trump (and his own execrable Tweets to his loyal base who will walk on beds of hot coals to prove their love of their president) put the kibosh on his Presidency? We can only pray that Trump's own corrupt intent will bring him down and remove him from the office he was never fit for.
18
Amazing article,Thank You. I go to bed at night praying that this nightmare will end soon. I am so saddened and discouraged by how many Republicans are willing to trade our Democracy for power.
31
Seems like he is working for Putin. It is obvious. Why won’t he show his taxes? Deutsche Bank was worried that he would default on his loans for $360 million again. Now we are building up an annual trillion dollar deficit to subsidize the wealthy. Now Republicans are saying the size of the deficit does not matter as they add an annual trillion dollar deficit . .
22
Imagine the reality show “The Teflon Don II” could have from prison. No one is above the law, that is what “makes America Great.”
I cannot wait until he is finally brought to justice.
“ Lock Him Up”
Obstruction seems clear
Collusion soon to be proven
13
Those of us (baby-boomers) who were cognizant of and perhaps affected by officials/situations dishonorable/despicable post WWII can and should evaluate Trump/this GOP in a proper relative context.
If they learned from life and are intellectually honest and not political/moral zombies it should be easy.
They should easily recognize the ill effects of concerted misinformation, self-serving policy making, and outright phony premises on people's lives - the Vietnam War travesty comes to mind for example.
And vis-a-vis that gem should come a clear understanding of the dangers of deference to Executives, misuse of power, and Congressional acquiescence.
And we veterans who maintained a notion that their Nation was actually better than their political leaders, that their sacrifices supported higher ideals and a better future for ALL - should recognize and weep over the trampling those are taking.
And those of us close to our immigrant roots, women's fight for equality, environmental struggles, and/or the racial Civil Rights struggles should see through the bigotry, shams, gaslighting, and exploitation of such issues occurring now.
And we with any intellectually curiosity/scholarship should recognize that American democratic socialism/progressive ideals is not communism - it is NOT mostly socialism - indeed the RELATIVE paradise we live in today stands on the shoulders of enlightened progressive people/actions.
To adults in the room Trump/GOP should be OBVIOUSLY abhorrent!
13
I don't believe maintaining or attempting to maintain secrecy is an element of the offense of conspiracy to obstruct justice. It is merely the common practice of most conspirators. Trump is incompetent as a conspirator, as with every other aspect of the job of president.
17
Among the many things others have commented on, this article lays out how deep and wide the active corruption is in the GOP. I have been thinking a few legislators could be considered treasonous (Ryan, McConnell, and Nunes). Thank you for laying out a clear description of the extent of the Congressmen involved and the strategies employed.
47
Undoubtedly Trump will go down in history as the most corrupt President that we have ever had in the United States.
He is a stain on our history and country.
Somehow and eventually, he needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and used as an example to prevent this from ever happening again!!!!
He is destroying our country.
Finally, it should be noted that the corrupt and fake right wing media should be put in its place in that they have never been elected to office, and they must be not only disregarded, but chastised for the liars that they really are.
The rest of us in this country must take a stand and make sure that it must be done!!!
51
Trump has proven that the US Constitution is still a legal framework for slavery.
2
@Quandry Agree that the US needs to use this moment to re-enact regulatory legislation on finance industry, its been too easy for the money to corrupt the process. Investigate media companies like Fox and repurpose the FCC for the 21st C. Take a serious look at the election process and clean it up. Re-invigorate public education, clean out the profiteers like DeVos. Install civics programs for all citizens including public school children from first years through U. Enforce separation of church and state in education and civic life. Investigate tax codes including providing tax free status to churches. Basically enforce constitutional law and clean out the loopholes.
3
Vladimir Putin is a criminal boss of astounding wealth. He brilliantly deploys state media and Internet technology to deny or distort what is true and spread lies in nano seconds. His tools of nationalism, racism, murder of opponents, favors for supplicant oligarchs, and crumbs for his citizens have created a bizarre society of corruption and suppression that survives because key actors are simply bought off, eliminated or afraid.
Putin follows a long line of brutal oppressors. Indeed, absent from Russian history is any period of broadly shared prosperity and fairly elected representative government. Russia is not and has never been a role model for any society.
Instead of repudiating Putin and celebrating America for how it is not Russia, Trump and his enablers have adopted Putin’s tactics of lies, intimidation, racism, nationalism, crony capitalism, fake news and demonization of perceived opponents — aided by Internet technology.
Every day, we witness the Trump cult attack truth-telling critics, the free press, an independent judiciary, and secular government based on the Constitutional separation of church and state. They brazenly use government powers to line their own pockets.
These Trump subversives are systematically pursuing an American version of Putin’s Russia.
In doing so, they are helping fulfill Putin’s dream of making our country as depraved and isolated as his. Trump’s litany of acts to obstruct justice fit in to this pattern.
46
@Julie B: Putin is taking Russia back to theocracy too.
1
The only reason I see why the Republican congress sits quietly is that they are afraid of the hold that the National Enquirer has on them. If they go after Trump, the National Enquirer would expose them.
17
@May: They believe it is all God's will.
The president of the United States is “Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States. As such Can he be Court-martialed for declaring a fraudulent state of emergency, lying, obstructing justice, marshaling troops to the boarder for a trumped-up fictional politically motivated fake "crisis"?
16
@D. Healy: The only real check on the US presidency is the power of Congress and Senate to fire the person.
Like most people, I was taught that one should not judge a book by its cover. Also, that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones--so, taking into account that I have never been mistaken for George Clooney's twin brother, I can't help cringing when I look into the eyes of the president and see madness, insanity... and pure evil.
40
@Joel Andrew Nagel
Joel Baby,
Either dump one of the first 2 names, then change your last name to Clooney. Then acquire real estate in Monte Carlo, a villa n Tuscany, friends and castles in London.
Salt and pepper your hair and beard and people will think you'e Rosemary's Clooney's long lost nephew.Make certain that all your teeth are in your head and smile 20/6 and George will fade away in a New Jersey Minute.
1
Trump is a reminder - albeit a painful one - that our democracy works. While we all have trouble turning our eyes away from train wrecks, our core values - our constitutions (big c and little c) - will ultimately force an almost involuntary removal of Trump and his spawn from our collective guts. We will all be a little tired and needing a little rest but we will feel better.
14
What boggles me is why so many people refuse to believe this person, I refuse to call him a man is believable.What American can believe anything this abomination has to say.I was bought into this country as an Alaskan, I believe in the dream of The United States of America but I refuse to see this dereliction of duty as anything but anything short of treasonous.
21
I love the cover photo.
The President blinded by a shadow blindfold he can’t see.
And so he walks in darkness.
28
I'm from Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. My husband and I have always canceled out each other's votes, mine D and his R. But my now FORMER Republican husband is disgusted by this guy. I read him this headline, and he quoted his father: "The hit dog hollers!"
20
Thank you New York Times and Washington Post. We count on you and your reporting.
40
What a wimp! The Clinton's were investigated for seven years and they didn't spend the majority of their time complaining about being investigated. Trump, on the other hand, bully and wimp that he is, has been demanding that it end from almost the day it started.
Hillary has more backbone than Trump ever will. Actually most of us have more backbone than "The Donald."
My advice to Trump - get over it and grow up. Remember you wanted this job and all that comes with it, including the negative press, investigations, jokes, jibes, et cetera.
34
Hillary was innocent. No reason to obstruct an investigation that she knew would eventually clear her.
9
@George N. Wells
Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have much in common. Both take endless punches and remain standing. They have both made huge hypocrites of their supporters.
Democrats who voted for Hillary demonstrated they really don't care about scandal or principles. Hillary set up a war room to go after Bill's assault victims. No self-respecting feminist would ever support someone like that. And yet they did.
Trump fights in his own way. Unlike Bill Clinton, he's new to the underside of politics. He should fight like the Queens street fighter he is. Whatever works.
Everyone:
No president has been perfect, not even Lincoln or Washington. All presidents have been castigated and maligned by their opponents and the press. Yet, until now, all presidents were faithful to their oath of office that declares their loyalty to the Constitution.
"The Government" is not the enemy of the people or the elected and appointed officials.
We do have a serious problem with our elected officials being limited by the American Oligarchs who use their money to advance their agenda. While neither open nor explicit, they blackmail the elected officials with threats to undermine them through deceptive advertisements and often outright lies and slander.
Trump is but a symptom of the deep problems we have as a nation. A dangerous symptom in my thinking but still only a symptom of a much deeper problem.
We-the-People rarely use critical thinking, we are pre-averse to hearing anyone we perceive to be on the other side and we are absolutists to the point were we consider compromise to be treason.
Lincoln reminded us about the divided house, it was divided then and still is today rampant with hatred and distrust that will eventually destroy all of us.
Trump and his ilk are the symptom of our collective self-hatred combined with our desire to have everything our way, or no way.
1
When you run your "business" to bankruptcy multiple times, default on so many loans you can no longer borrow money, and need to go to Deutcsh Bank in Germany that launders Russian money, and borrow from Putin, bad things will happen. It does not help that you do not read.
36
A murderer cannot claim, as his defense, that he is "obviously" a killer. By the same token, DJT's obvious hostility for the Justice investigations does not clear him of conspiracy charges.
If you buy that, I have a bridge to sell you.
15
@cc On that note , since you are building a very large, beautiful wall, might I interest you in some very reasonably priced ladders. If you don't like heights, I have these very cheap shovels that may interest you. Some are even motorized for digging those extra large holes you mentioned Mr Chapo, it is Mr Chapo right, did I get that right?
It is time to step up, acknowledge we elected a very flawed and corrupt individual as President and if we do not forcefully remove him from office the world order will change to our detriment.
It ou s already happening with countries dealing with China to purchase computer technology and some European countries trading with Russia for products that would normally come to the United states.
Morals matter and our President has none. Impeach him now.
20
@sbanicki: The man lost by almost 3 million votes. This system is a broken relic of slavery. He never really was president.
2
What an amazing photograph to accompany a story that is so punishingly painful. Trump is bringing the world's most powerful nation to its knees. He is both the executioner and the thief robbing the nation of its honour. The position of the US in the world will never be the same again.
23
Their legal argument seems pretty flimsy. Whether you do it in the open or not, conspiring is STILL conspiracy. And it seems plain he did obstruct the investigation by his actions. And these opinions held by the very few that a POTUS cannot be indicted? Poppycock.
11
Thanks NYT for this excellent compilation of the criminal behavior of the president, and the complicit behavior of those in Congress and the administration who support and enable it. There are not enough penal institutions to justly reward them all. Nor do we have the capacity to devote our justice system to prosecuting every one of them. But we can rid ourselves of them at the ballot box. Let’s work hard to make sure this happens in the next election cycles.
9
Every few weeks either the NYT, the Washington Post or some other esteemed journal publishes a chronology of Trump horrors, sometimes adding new details. Then I cringe all over again. I can't believe how blatantly Trump behaves and Republicans just roll over for him. Is having a tax break - and of specious value to the country - so important that the wealthy would give away their country, in essence their birthright? It didn't work out so well in the OT, and probably won't this time, either.
10
How many times Hannity attacked the Mueller investigations and how many other FOX TV hosts tried to discredit the investigations. It is very clear that Trump colluded with Russia. The main question is when Russia recruited Trump ? How Trump and his business got so much tangled with Moscow ? What is the financial crime involved? I hope everybody involved with this collusion with Russia case get caught including Julian Assange ? If Roger Stone gets punishment, then Guillani should be investigated too.
14
Trump is who he is and has always been, a fraudulent, perpetual liar that cares about nothing on this planet but himself and his personal enrichment and glorification. That is proven with every breath he takes and every move he makes.
Trump's Republican lackeys especially Mitch McConnell knew what an amoral, ignorant incompetent person Trump is well before they joined in supporting him in the 2016 election. They have abandoned the American people in their Russian-assisted power grab backed by a minority of voters who readily accepted Trump's anti-Obama Birtherism lies.
We all know know full well that the FBI was fully entitled to pursue a covert investigation centered on Trump's alleged collusion and foreign interference in the electoral process. But the Republican racist and Evangelical base is not at all interested in truth or justice. They have deified Trump such that the Republican leadership will never go against this important source of votes. The GOP leadership may even be treasonous in their obsessive protection of their crime-boss mascot, Donald Trump.
The Republican Party has no shame and they must be taught a lesson in humility by being thrown from office at every opportunity by the majority of citizens who want to restore dignity to the the Oval Office and to our nation.
22
The "Russia Thing" is not over, its just gaining traction.
8
I appreciate the investigative journalism of the NYT, uncovering and detailing the range of offenses by Trump before and after the election. If just one or two of the well-established offenses were attributed to Obama when he was in office, you can be sure that congressional Rs would be howling for his impeachment and imprisonment. Instead, the spineless partisan traitors continue to provide cover for him while he engages in daily attacks on our democratic institutions and norms as well shameful insults directed at any person or entity that dares to criticize him. I'm for a proper set of investigations into the range of offenses, some criminal, by Trump, his campaign and his company. But our democracy is in peril every day he remains in office. It's time to start impeachment proceedings, based on the extensive list of his documented offenses, high crimes and misdemeanors both legal and moral. That includes abuses of power, corruption such as self-enrichment activities, obstruction of justice, and Trump's various threats to our national security. Trump is a cancer on the body politic. Our democratic crisis is about more than him, but he is so destructive and dangerous that we must see that he's removed. Likewise, the Trumpist Party has to be purged of the rot--those who put party before country and lack all intellectual, moral and political integrity.
11
Our country is really lucky to have the New York Times. Really really lucky.
24
Will Trump and his “fake news” impact our country’s truth and justice forever? How dare Donald Trump for toying with us!
3
What I am learning from all of these is that I live in a lawless country. What a shame.
14
History shows us that anyone (outside his family) who tries to help Trump is thrown under the bus. And then the bus backs up and runs over them again. Some people like Whitaker, Kelly and Mattis, have learned from this. Others, like Pence and Sarah Huck, still need to learrn this.
5
Intimidation, pressure and humiliation are tactics trump has used on our Allies as well. They know it and they despise him. Meanwhile our enemies like Putin and Kim Jong-Un have flattered and manipulated him. They love him.
When will Don the Con's reign of incompetence end? How will he go down? Stay tuned.
7
Trump's presidency, as seen from a US ally abroad, appears to be the equivalent of a train wreck, were it a movie, and directed by Michael Bay. So far its storyline has ravaged through Congress, its committees, the Senate, the Republican Party, and now, the Constitution itself.
We can only hope the final destination in this parlous parade of awful will be Trump Tower, where with luck the explosion will be so pyrotechnic and magnificent as to flatten the entire structure and all of his family within, less they crawl out like cockroaches and into the sewers below.
In all seriousness, it's hard to calculate the damage of this debacle to the office, and more importantly to the values that underpin it. Many of them being more subtle in nature, such as dignity, gravitas, and the authority that is derived from being in the moral right, and therefore cannot be legislated for. They are simply the standard, the staff upon which the American flag flies.
This is a terrible time in America's history, and therefore the history of the free world. We can take some solace from the results of the midterms, but the left's unique ability to self-destruct is still an existential threat to 2020.
Please, America, for your allies as well as yourselves, make this madness end in 2020. And then jail him with Manafort, Stone, and the rest. If nothing else it will make for an exquisite photo: see, all the gang, back together at last.
13
Trump's horrific excess in self-aggrandizement and lying has been a tragic circus. And it is with morbid curiosity that I can't wait to see, but seriously dread what is still redacted in Mueller's report.
"[...] the president’s brazen public behavior might be his best defense." I certainly hope not. Committing crimes in public should make his actions more heinous. Yelling fire in a theater is not protected free speech precisely because of the effect that has in a public space. His actions destroy respect for the law and erode public institutions should be further evidence of Trump violating his oath of office--among other things.
4
Its as if Trump wants to be locked up. The only question now is...will Trump be tried as an adult?
14
He may get off on incompetence to stand trial, just like he's incompetent to do anything else.
Mueller will never finish the investigation because Trump keeps saying and doing new things to be investigated.
8
With all this known about Trump, the Democratic Congress still sidesteps the question of impeaching Trump. Swallwell goes on TV saying the best way to impeach him is at the ballot box. In two years! Imagine how much more damage he can do. No the best way to impeach him is for Congress to do its job and rid the country of a corrupt and criminal President. The evidence is in front of you, especially as far as obstruction of justice goes. The presidency is a job of moral leadership, as Roosevelt said, so how can a President who subverts the rule of law be allowed to remain in office? Being afraid to impeach is no grounds not to act. If this Congress can't impeach Trump, our elected officials have no hope to impeach any corrupt President because it's unlikely we'll have such a scoundrel in office again. We've been told hearings will begin, so where are the hearings? Why do Democratic leaders let him get away wrecking this country a little more every day? Time to act. Don't wait for Mueller. Act on your own power.
7
@Lural, the republican senate will not convict him in an impeachment. I do agree he should be impeached asap, but republicans hold all the cards and disagree.
This is a plain old con artist, petty criminal who laundered a little money here and there, but apparently not enough to get much attention. Then he walks into the one job that will guarantee that everything will be investigated.
Most of us saw this coming: a man of his limited intelligence would hire people of his own ilk, and those who would be of a mind or in a position to look up to Trump. Imagine that. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Flynn, Manafort, on and on.
Now we need to expel him from this position so the Ninth Circuit and all the rest can have at him.
9
Trump is like the pesky kid in class that is always disruptive, never has his homework done, and can't answer the questions correctly when asked but, instead, makes the teacher's asking into something funny.
For serious students, they just want him to go away. But they're polite in class keep their thoughts to themselves then choose not to play with this kid on the playground.
3
If and when Trump is put on trial, I shudder to think if he'll be tried by a jury of his peers.
That would be truly deplorable.
7
"Mr. Trump’s public war on the inquiry has gone on long enough that it is no longer shocking."
This is truly a tragedy, especially if it also numbs our desire or ability to pursue Trump to the fullest extent of the law.
5
This article lays out the obstruction case against Trump and his collaborators in a nutshell. It illustrates Trump's corrupt intent which is necessary to prove obstruction of justice.
Thanks to the Times reporters who put it together.
2962
@L
And thanks to 'our' wholly-corporate-owned mass media, which paved his perverted way to the Oval Office.
47
@L, I wouldn't call a detailed article, that runs on two pages and with plenty of graphs, a nutshell!
3
@L
But as attorney general Barr has pointed out, the president's obstruction of justice is within the powers of his office. How's that for a Catch 22?
9
I think the Mueller Report needs to come out as soon as possible.
The people of America deserve to know if President Trump is just being Donald Trump, egotistical, belligerent, possibly lying many times over, and repeating the repeated knowing that if you keeping saying things from the bully pulpit some or all of it will rub off and be accepted as true.
Presidents have been castigated for a fraction of what Trump is being accused of but the people elected him warts and all and he has produced above all jobs. But that does not mean he is above the Law of the Land which he swore to uphold.
The words of the media have to be separated from the official words of the Special Investigator Mueller who appears to be the only person trusted, but this may not mean much to those who have gained employment through Trump policies unless this is fake news too.
Trump could well turn out to be a rough diamond, but on the other hand a less than knowledgeable rough politician with little or no diplomacy.
Stan Chun
Wellington. NZ
20 Feb. 2019.
1
He has not created any jobs. The increase in jobs we’ve seen during his tenure thus far is simply a continuation of a trend that began during Obama’s second term.
The chorus of Amens from the true believers in the church of anti-Trump are resounding in near complete lockstep. The Smollett, Amazon & McCabe embarrassments require a full retestament of unwavering faith.
1
McCabe may be right. The signs are point to Trump being a Russian agent.
9
Innocent people typically have nothing to fear.
Especially rich presidents with the best possible legal representation.
So, why is Trump so itchy and exercised over these investigations?
I mean, he's innocent, right?
Only the guilty worry and lash out this much.
The guy knows what he did and the amount of trouble he's in.
That's why he's so freaked out.
Are you nervous?
Me neither.
Cause we didn't do anything.
He's very nervous.
10
It would be one thing if ignorance of the American political system were an adequate defense for the obstruction of justice committed by this President. But his public declarations of ill will for the institutions of our country and his attempts to undermine the rule of law show that he is a narcissist who cannot distinguish between what is good for the country and what is good for him personally, and for his business. So when he publically called for Russia to find the missing emails, which were subsequently published on Wikileaks, he colluded publicly with a foreign power to help him get elected by discrediting his opponent. And his firing of James Comey itself constituted obstruction of justice, because he admitted he did it in order to stop the Russia investigation. His subsequent berating of Jeff Sessions for not recusing himself (which Sessions was smart enough to do) proved that Trump cares nothing for the independence of the Department of Justice, and his attacks on Federal Judges on the basis of race have proved that he cares nothing for the rule of law nor the independence of the judiciary. But his declaration of a fake emergency in order to make a power grab from Congress is probably the mistake that will get him impeached in the end. He reminds me of Louis XIV, with his "l'état, c'est moi", only Trump is going to find out the hard way that the United States is not a monarchy.
6
@Glendon Gross Will he find out? One hopes so, of course. But he seems to slide by every constitutional crisis as if he was indeed above the law. How much closer to a monarchy can we get?
If only Citizens United hadn't passed the John Roberts-led SCOTUS.. and if only the Fairness Doctrine hadn't been overturned by the FCC...and if only Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan weren't so very grateful to oligarch donors.
If in one of these instances, individuals had acted on behalf of preserving our democracy rather than greed, our nation wouldn't have been trashed by an ego maniac suited to selling kitchen blenders at 4am on obscure tv channels.
10
If McAbe sees Trump as a possible ‘Russian asset’, as was reported on CNN today, why has this question not been asked about his Trump’s wife, a Slovenian, who would be very aware of the the strict pro-communist regime that previously existed there? To me it seems an obvious question to ask. I may or may not be true, subject to more detailed investigation. Was there a ‘honey trap’?
6
Equally guilty of obstruction of Justice are all of the Republicans in Congress. All of them must receive the greatest penalties for their crimes.
6
"Mr. Mueller will have to make judgments about the effect on the country of making a criminal case against the president."
Really? I would hope Mr. Mueller will instead make judgments about the effect on the country of NOT making a criminal case against this patently criminal president.
This country is not supposed to be some tin-pot dictatorship. What differentiates us from the run-of-the-mill corrupt state is that we are a nation of laws. And we have a president who is seriously breaking the law and demanding that those who work for him break the law too.
I hope Mr. Mueller has the courage and integrity to let the chips fall where they may. He should not place his subjective judgment about what's good for the country before the iron-clad constitutional requirement that a president cannot be above the law.
8
I don't know what to think anymore. I believe in science, facts, and a system of checks and balances. Perhaps I'm under some sort of "bubble," or hampered by a "blind spot," but it looks to me like the GOP and its fearless leader are opposed to all 3. I'm hard-pressed to think of any Democrat who's a saint, but Trump has a well-documented history of being a full-fledged con artist, which has proved far more useful to him as a politician than actual government experience. Rank-and-file voters knew this from the outset and not only voted him in but will probably re-elect him. Which leads me right back to where I started: I don't know what to think anymore.
3
I don’t need convincing. He should have been impeached in January 2017. The fact that Congress allowed him to wreak havoc on our democracy is the real tragedy. Will the Democrats in the house fare better? Probably not.
5
A Justice Department policy does not a law make. Indict Trump, then the courts -- rather than a political appointee -- can determine the legality of it. From reading the Constitution, I see no prohibition.
Keep in mind that a conviction on criminal charges does not remove a president from office. That can only be done by impeachment or invoking the 25th Amendment, either of which could follow a conviction. But Trump could still remain in office before either of those procedures were implemented, even if he was behind bars (or sentenced to be).
4
Thank you NYT. This piece really lays out the sequence of events. The "gravity well of corruption" (or if your prefer "the black hole of corruption") that is Individual-1's M.O. has all the pieces slowly being pulled into one place and into focus.
This president* has viewed the office of president as primarily a way to enrich himself (but by his own recent admission he's losing money here) and, more importantly, as a way to protect himself from being prosecuted for his corruption and straight up criminal acts! Thus his intense focus on being re-elected in 2020 (sorry...ain't going to happen!)
All the rest of the blathering "look what I can do and what I've done as president*" is there as distractions. He's actually accomplished little with any real substance. Certainly going to be an interesting stretch towards the end of this one term president*.
6
As the layers of corruption accumulate and the polls remain unmoved, it becomes increasingly clear that the bond between Trump and his base has nothing to do with the issues; it’s the shared belief that admitting you’re wrong is the greatest sin of all.
11
Public exhaustion is our greatest enemy. Our heaviest lifting is still ahead of us. Floodgates have been flung wide open by this president to militarized, repressive and anti-democratic forces that are anathema to the society we want to live in. But these forces are emboldened by this Administration and it complicit enablers - and they aspire to be the country's future.
President Macron of France reportedly said that the greatest fear in the UE is that the American people would elect another Donald Trump. Are we so sure that they might not be right? A younger, more politically and personally adept and charismatic person - same right-wing vision with much more palatable presentation? Will we be too exhausted and numb and relieved to heed that little warning red flag inside? Will we be up to doing the heavy lifting to protect our world?
WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW and KNOWING DEMANDS ACTION. It's real. It's dangerous. It's now. No business as usual.
It is time to move past the shock, denial, surprise, angst, alarm, disbelief and hurt. There must be unity and coalitions formed among all who oppose the assault on the Constitution. Together we can expose the damage that's being done systemically and to many thousands of human beings. Together we can help expose and blunt further damage.
We still have time enough NOT to become the good Germans.
8
If there are crimes that have been committed here, let's for god's sake, see them. The taxpayers have been hanging on a thread for two tiresome (and expensive) years for Mueller to come forward with his findings about this president.
But Mueller will wait as long as he can to keep the ongoing "narrative" and suspicion about Trump alive through 2020.
It is a cynical strategy that needs no outcome but serves its purpose by existing-- supposing, accusing, speculating, attacking but never confirming with hard truth (which doesn't matter)
Millions of us see through these shenanigans and simply do not listen or pay much attention anymore.
The main "Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation" here is being suffered by Trump himself every second of every day since he became president (not the other way around.)
It has become so noxious that I believe many people will not even care if some (benign) wrongdoing is eventually attributed to him.
.
2
@Marcia Stephens
How did you feel about the much longer, far more expensive and far less fruitful Starr investigation?
18
Or the nine separate Benghazi investigations that took place. They Cost tens of millions of dollars and got nothing when it was all done except give Fox News a story line for years about some huge conspiracy in the state department
3
@Marcia Stephens
Wow. The human capacity for self delusion never ceases to astound. Marcia, there are none so blind as those who will not see.
2
While I believe this story, I’d like more evidence and less summary.
Too much is at stake and the integrity of the press is in jeopardy. I think you’d be better served to lay out the facts and let the public draw the conclusions.
2
Even if contrary to all appearances there "was" no collusion, it seems there *is* ongoing collusion every single day.
6
The more resourceful and cunning the offender of law the more difficult it is to reach him yet, with sustained investigation and focused fact gathering effort as the Special counsel is doing or the House is preparing to do it is not difficult to fix Trump's offences and how cleverly he is obstructing justice at all levels. Thus, it might be a while before the majesty of law comes into full play but once it does it strikes hard.
11
From the beginning, and I do mean November 2016, I've known that Trump is the most dangerous security threat to the nation. What puzzles me is why there are so many people who (1) help him get away with it and/or (2) apparently think he's truly the besieged innocent victim that he claims he is. I can't help but wish I could be around when the movie comes out in 20 years--hoping the country will still be around, as well.
25
Opera might be a better art form to capture this story.
6
We can quibble about indictments and pardons but there are certainly grounds for impeachment. It is a political calculation, though. The object is to unseat Trump, not enable his re-election.
15
Having grown up in a family that routinely flaunted the law, particularly the tax laws, Mr. Trump has no regard for the rule of law. In his real estate dealings he has routinely used lawyers to get himself out of tight spots, or declared bankruptcy and moved on to his next project. His ignorance of the operation of Congress is amazing. Expecting him to change his attitude at this late date is a waste of time. Only exposing his nefarious schemes will have any effect. Unfortunately, the GOP leaders in the Senate are cowards and will not support the general populace in controlling this president. They should be ashamed.
42
@bill38 GOP leaders are compromised. Follow the money.
1
The thing to remember when Trump disputes stories about him is that everything he says is a lie.
46
So what will be contained in the Trump presidential library when this is all over?
17
@joe
How about the greatest job creation Presidency in our history?
How about the formation of a group to carry out a coup d'etat by the previous president and attorneys general?
How about the beginning of a real barrier to the thousands of people trying to sneak into the U.S. every month for the first time ever?
This administration has gotten more done for the country than any administration in its fist two years.
1
@losservatore, no, I don’t think so.
I don’t think there will be a Trump library. The funds he raises for it will go the same way as the inauguration cash.
9
@Dubious Yes, also libraries are for people who read and study, so trump won’t be needing one.
1
When Trump claims "fake news" publicly we know he is hiding something or is afraid of what journalists and editors can dig up through their many contacts within the Trump administration and the Executive Branch agencies. Fake news is code for denial. Unfortunately for the president journalists continue to dig and people continue to talk to them. This all reminds me of the Watergate "witch hunt" that eventually claimed Nixon's presidency. The truth eventually crushed Nixon; it will crush Trump. He is constantly looking over his shoulder, not getting anything meaningful accomplished, and seeking greater protection among his circle of sycophants.
27
Among the many listed republican enablers of Trump’s treasonous behavior, perhaps the most effective was Fox News. Day after day conniving with Trump and spreading lies, smears, and attacks against anyone who was not 100% pro Trump.
51
I am old enough to remember a time when Republicans proudly proclaimed themselves to be "the Party of Law and Order."
They seemed to be anguished when they wondered how they could tell their children to model themselves after the President at a time when they could not bring themselves to respect the President.
Fast forward to now . . .
These days, the Republican Party is the Party of Silence and Inaction in the face of Presidential lawlessness, chaos, vulgar language, racist diatribes and seeming love for autocrats, dictators and smarmy people.
And, sigh, Republicans no longer seem to care that they cannot tell their children to model themselves after the behavior of the President of the United States.
40
As a lifelong Republican, my biggest concern by far is that our Trump is compromised by Putin and other governments, especially those adversarial to America and our historic allies. It seems that people, including the authors of this article, don’t grasp the unprecedented dangers that a treasonous/compromised Trump poses to the lives of Americans. I feel betrayed by my own party GOP because it clearly is not protecting America against treason with a deadly foreign adversary. The evidence is in front of us- Trump wants to break NATO, he weakens sanctions against Russian oligarchs, he destroys transcripts of his talks w Putin, and on and on. GOP- where are you when Americans need you the most? Will you betray America as well?
47
@simon simon Ask any diplomat - damage has already been done. US credibility will need to be rebuilt. And future collaborators and allies are looking lots more carefully at people claiming to represent the USA.
2
There is no doubt now that the US has unwittingly put a hardened and pathological criminal mind in charge of the US government. An erstwhile New York high society con man has permanently burrowed his way in the White House with the help of US enemies. What is worse is the GOP, first unwittingly and later very willingly, is trying to hide, and occasionally support, Trump's criminal enterprise. Trump may or may not go to jail, but Republicans party will pay a heavy price for its discretion for ignoring Trump’s limitless transgression against the US democratic institutions. But to avert such as disaster at polls, it seems as if the Republican party, which is increasingly the party of older white males, wants to convert the US from a democracy to a dictatorship under Trump so it can bring back good old days adored by Archie Bunker where only his types ruled the roost and women, minorities and non Christians were put in their place.
26
It is quite obvious that trump is a criminal. It is equally obvious that the republican party is completely supportive of this criminal activity which blocks the constitutional remedy of impeachment. What is the solution?
Resist, march, vote against the criminals whenever possible. Write, tweet, email, call your republican congressperson advising that you will not vote for them. Volunteer to go door to door for your Democratic congressperson. There is power in truth that can be expressed by all of us in the voting booth.
34
It has been said countless times that innocent people don't act like this. That may be true for the vast majority of the population, but Trump is an outlier.
Let's look at the evidence: To date, Mueller has not produced anything that looks unequivocably like collusion or obstruction on Trump's part. Nor has the extensive and deep reporting around these issues. There is the undeniable and all too apparent behavior of Trump, but no sign of premeditation or guile. There may be no there, there.
Now let's take a look at Trump: Trump does not care about innocence or guilt. He's not a right or wrong kind of guy. Instead, he's primarily concerned about himself, his image, his brand, whether he's "winning" or people think less of him. I suspect he may not have a guilty bone in his body. But the glaringly apparent, bumbling, self-destructive behavior comports perfectly with who Trump is: a shallow, vulnerable person rendered to idiocy by narcissism.
Which is worse: Trump is guilty, or; Trump is "just being Trump" in all his appalling glory?
6
It is best to WAIT FOR THE ENTIRE MUELLER REPORT, and the all facts.
There may or may not be “any there, there”...
To say there is not at this point, any collusion or conspiracy, is factually unknown.
It seems fair, prudent and appropriate for all to wait for the facts before we make any assessments or determine the next steps forward.
It is humorous to see a clear-cut correspondence: the more anti-Trump a post is, the higher the recommendation count, which logically means more people who are anti-Trump read the New York Times.
If the post simply states facts and logic, and especially if is right-leaning, it gets a noticeably smaller recommendation count. It's to the point where one can create an algorithm to identify if the poster is a partisan Democrat or not.
I suggest getting rid of the recommendation feature, as it gives a pretense of worthiness.
5
That’s like Trump saying that he only gets negative coverage in the news. Could the real reason for anti-Trump feeling among reasonable people be the fact that Trump is an amoral demagogue and a likely Russian agent? Is anyone surprised that most people still dislike Trump, ever since a majority of people voted against him in the 2016 election?
11
So, you prefer right leaning facts and truths?
Sorry, the is no such things as right leaning or left leaning facts. Perhaps you mean you prefer right leaning opinions?
This reporting simply chronicles the actions of the President and his appointees, as they react to the investigation of the Russian influence on the 2016 election. It is opinion of many of the commentators here, based on the facts presented, ,that the President and his political team has acted criminally to derail this investigation. I suspect a jury would also reach that conclusion, based upon the facts and truth of this reporting
@John Barry
I prefer the truth.
I never said there was such thing as right-leaning or left-leaning facts.
And the reporting here, unfortunately, has been colored by anti-Trump ideology. It's not just the facts, Jack.
Who but a person with a mobster mentality would refer to his personal attorney as his "fixer?" Trump has enjoyed a lifetime of surrounding himself with fixers, protectors, and insulators. He cannot tolerate even the idea of an investigation into his activities because he has always seen himself as above the law. This Times report is not surprising but it is alarming. Dictators obstruct any attempts at justice. Trump is the president, not the dictator, of the United States. Someone in his party should step up and clue him in to that fact. The Mueller report that will corroborate this essential piece of journalism. Let's hope that Barr is on our, not Trump's, side of the law.
16
And when you say our side you mean all the American
People
Shouldn't all this be evidence of obstruction of justice, as well as various derelictions of duty as president?
12
We have become so used to Trump's lies that it has become something of a joke. So what must be taken seriously is how many of his allies have been willing to lie for him. Subsequently, a moment like this demands that we take Trump's own lies with more sobriety.
6
And it goes on and on and on...And my response? So, what else is new? Remember that shooting on 5th Avenue? The man not only survives notoriety/infamy, he thrives on it. I'm sure I'm not alone in practically tiring of all the heinous behavior that Trump exhibits and then...nothing happens to him. Not only that, he seems to go blithely on his way, as if nothing has happened. Oh, wait, that's right--nothing *has* happened to him, which is all that matters to him. OK, on to the next expose...
8
His daughter and son-in-law both work in the White House as advisors. I’ll venture to guess that they advise him and others in the art of treachery.
8
Out cowardly bully in chief is a true creature of the sewer, though that insults sewers.
Disgusting.
What is the matter with people who can stomach his voice, his greedy selfish poses, his dishonest, his treachery?
Blind ignorance rules!
13
For God's sake, arrest Trump already! Lock 'em all up!
37
Cut to the chase. Unless the GOP members of the Senate stop protecting him from impeachment, the country is stuck with him unless he's indicted, removed under the 25th Amendment, or dies in office. Personally, I feel he has more than earned impeachment and would like to put every GOP Senator who protects and enables him on the record prior to the 2020 elections. After the public humiliation they will suffer in several weeks' time when they have to publically avow their loyalty, a second time may prove more than some of them can take. And Twitter needs to take a hard look at enforcing its policies given 45's violation of them. Deleting his account would be worthy of a Nobel Prize nomination.
35
All we need is just one solid piece of evidence. All we need is one charge to make against Trump.
With all the cases being pursued against Trump, we need to win just one big one.
In all the information being gathered by Mueller's team, the NYS AG and others, there must something that is conclusive that Trump cannot talk his way out of.
I don't care if it is collusion, obstruction, fraud or jaywalking, just charge him with something already.
Time is running short and Trump will appoint people who will serve him (rather than the country), he'll sign more executive orders, he'll declare more national emergencies, he'll do all this and more to bend this country to his will and avoid the fate he deserves.
29
@cl
The fact of Pence-in-waiting protects him.
The Republicans backstop Worse with Much Worse. Cheney with Bush 2, Quayle with Bush 1. The defining characteristic of a Republican is unrepentant cynicism.
They consider it a virtue because it replaces every other true virtue.
The core problem here is the electoral college.
Almost 3 Million more americans voted for Clinton than for Trump, yet he was declared the winner.
The Electoral College has its roots in racism, and North-South economic interests of 2 centuries ago. It serves no purpose but to subvert democratic elections, and it needs to be abolished.
And soon.
57
Thank you; I’ve been making this case across multiple mediums/platforms for years, and this is another compelling argument to add. 3 million people, Clinton’s win amount, is also the entire population of many nations worldwide.
21
@jljarvis
Yes, but it can unfairly benefit either side. Does that make it fair?
1
Looking beyond the trees to see the forest for it's grandeur, the simple fact remains that the nation's guardians are trying to protect America from foreign rascals while Trump is undermining their work. He sure looks guilty as can be to me.
11
Mr. Trump is driven by his need to achieve financial success. Bailouts from his father and multiple bankruptcies evidence his failures in the circles he aspires to. His strategy dealing with any foe is the a strong offense is the best defense. Any obligation he has incurred involves another party amounting to a foe to be pushed aside. So if Putin and associates are laundering money to Trump's benefit and offering more deals in exchange for political and policy favors from Trump, and our intelligence community raises concerns Trump demonizes them and independent press reporting. The monies the Russians provide or promise Trump are a small price in exchange for the chaos in the West resulting from Trump's actions, many no doubt Russian inspired. Divisions created at home limit our unilateral options. Republican motivation is retention of power, it corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
9
His defenders say that since his pronouncements, his objections, his railings are public, "he is hardly engaged in a conspiracy."
Congressman Ted Lieu of CA. said it best, I paraphrase: "Just because he is obstructing justice in plain view doesn't mean it isn't a crime."
29
Here is my wish list:
Mueller finishes his investigation at the height of the presidential primary season; the report clearly lays out misconduct by Trump; The Democrats nominate a strong candidate. Trump wins the Republican nomination. The democratic nominee trounces Trump in a landslide. After Trump leaves office he is prosecuted by the Southern a District of New York for the hush money payments. Trump goes to trial and is convicted by a jury for violating campaign finance laws.
27
and, as a bonus, Mike Pence never serves as President of the US.
5
I want to thank you for such an in-depth article on this subject. Your journalists and your staff are among the finest in the world. And I do commend you for your outstanding work. You make me very proud. Without your extensive research we would no know of such things. It has to be told, we have to read it, it has to be known; no matter how difficult it is. We can only fit the pieces of this massive and intricate puzzle together with your help. It is with a heavy heart that I read this. This is still America. We are in the midst of holding on to a very unique & wonderful democracy. It is being tested beyond belief. My parents, grandparents and great grandparents would be quiet dismayed. It is truly trying my truly patriotic soul. I will keep calm and carry on and do the very best I can. We all must stand up for our country and hold it close to our hearts. Once, again I thank you for all that you do. Godspeed you in all the work that you do. God Bless Us All! Be strong America, be strong.
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Government works best when the citizens don't have to worry or think about what is being done by its representatives.
Under Trump's 2-year reign, Americans are in the midst of a nervous breakdown.
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I was a graduate student during Watergate. We were mesmerized by it. But it doesn’t hold a candle to what is happening now, corruption so complex and multifaceted that it is at times nearly impossible to follow. At least Nixon had the grace to resign. I doubt Trump will.
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I wish my neighbors who trusted and voted for Trump would acknowledge the incredible and probably illegal tactics of a man obsessed with hiding something and decide to not support him but for some perplexing reason does not seem to be the case.
If his base would admit what appears obvious to most this nightmare would end rapidly.
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@John Flemming The Democrats choice of candidate will be key in this regard.
Both paties are so revulsive to me as a citizen that I do not want either of them to win. They have had their day. They have squandered trust and can no longer earn it back. We can focus on the perpetual circus between them, or we can turn our backs on them and try to elect those who will govern with a severe distaste for the factionalism that is now on display.
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Both parties are not the same. One enables and protects a criminal as POTUS.
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@Toni Vitanza
It is time you realize that they all consider themselves above accountability. Clinton did break laws and got protected by McCabe et al. Her husband got all the cover he needed. Bush got a pass on Iraq WMD. Johnson got a pass on atrocities in Vietnam. Nixon and Kissinger on Cambodia. How about that slush fund that Congress has to pay off sexual harassment? They lie and cheat their way through. Want to see Trumps tax returns? Me, too. I also want to see Pelosi's. I want to know more about Feinstein's Chinese driver and the money she got from Asia. Both parties. Rotten to the core, and for a long, long time.
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This is exactly the best timing for this information to be published. Thank You NYT'S. The outrageous and extremely dangerous
diversions Trump has continually cast upon citizens (this week a National Emergency) I believe are to distract us from one undeniable fact, Trump is leveraged by Putin. Thank you for not being distracted.
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If, by chance, Trump really didn't know what was going on with the Russians, that alone would make him profoundly incompetent.
Of course, common sense tells me he knew, and made some barriers to look like he didn't.
For instance, getting his information from junior at the dinner table, and not from memos or any documentary proof.
12
The bottom line is that so long as Republicans control a 2/3 majority in the Senate and party is more important to them than Country, they will do nothing except claim that Democrats are trying to usurp the presidency. The Trust is the Republicans usurped power by supporting a president that was elected through an influence campaign orchestrated by Russia, our foreign enemy, and preventing the confirmation of Merrick Garland from the Supreme Court.
As far as I'm concerned (and I'm not party affiliated), these acts by Republicans are treasonous.
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@Andrew Bermant It's all payback by and for McConnell being humiliated for not being able to fulfill his stated promise to ensure Obama would be a one-term POTUS. The American electorate voted Obama to two terms, and yet somehow McConnell feels he must punish the electorate for humiliating him. How someone so vile and devoid of character can remain an elected official is one for the ages, but the old fool is up for re-election in 2020, so please encourage Kentucky voters to put him out to pasture where he belongs. It's time to put an end to revenge politics - if our elected officials abuse their privileged roles by wasting time playing retribution games rather than serving the American electorate by developing positive legislation to improve life quality then they should be shown the door.
This American President's fight to support his employees, campaigners, or surrogates is indistinguishable from President Clinton's fights ti support his Cabinet nominees, or Mr. Obama's fight to keep all the major details of his activities as president a secret.
The only difference is the fake-news war on him conducted by political advocates who were counting on the most corrupt Secretary of State in American history winning the White House.
The five men who lied to the FISA judge to seek and retain a warrent to spy on the Trump campaign and then to oust him from his position merit indictment by federal gand juries.
I see no way that their organized fight to stop Donald Trump's cmpaign was not organized through the Oval Office and West Wing.
4
Who are these five liars and what were they lying about?
If you look at the chronology of events, the FISA warrant against Carter Page was approved three times before the Steele dossier was published to Federal investigators and a read of these warrant requests show that the dossier was only a small part of the evidence used to open or extend the warrant.
Every time I read of the president's tweets, comments or accusations against the Justice Department, the FBI, or his own appointees the same phrase runs through my mind. "Me thinks thou dost protest too much".
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The time is apon us where we must put down the laptops and pick up the pitchforks.
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Is there a single adventure that this White House administration and President has entered into that has not prompted front page news and an investigation by congress, or the justice department? Maybe a lawsuit by a third of the attorney generals in this Country! Talk of impeachment.....or possible felony charges . Perhaps....since most of his previous associates are u dear indictment or already convicted....someone might make the connection ? Or are emjust waiting on Mr.Mueller to put together the absolute indisputable case.
Lets see...overreach of Executive powers. About to be challenged in congress and the cohtrts. Possible collusion with An antagonistic foreign power , controllled by an autocratic dictator. ...and now the suspicion that they helped elect him. Or selling nuclear reactors to a country in the Middle East that hardly needs nuclear power...curious technology for a fossil fuel rich country with an autocratic head of state.
Are we seeing the trend...or just “Fake news”. The merely obvious should suffice....the absurdly obvsious should note be necessary. This has been a painful and damaging exercise in electoral misjudgement.....Congress has the option to correct the error....the electorate should demand it.
@Jhs - or like Al Capone his taxes.
“The president soon soured on Mr. Whitaker, as he often does with his aides, and complained about his inability to pull levers at the Justice Department that could make the president’s many legal problems go away.” Says who? What proof do you give us? You are obviously able to write the statement, but you don’t back it up. You then go on to discount it with statements - Whitaker’s being under oath - that completely negate your claim.
This is not journalism, it’s continued narrative. My question is this: Given the fact there has not yet been one genuine iota of evidence that links Trump to Russian collusion, how is this even a real investigation? Given the complete lack of evidence, isn’t this entire ordeal merely a political operation to “get” the president? And if it is a political operation, why should he remain silent while this paper and others smear him?
Both NBC and ABC are beginning to inform their viewers that Mueller’s investigation may end with a whimper. If it does, if he’s put this country through all this for nothing, he will go down as one of the biggest frauds in history, as will your so-called reporting on this pathetic waste of time.
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America is sick of the term “fake news”. Congress needs to do something to stop Trump from using this catchphrase, which basically now means “the truth”, albeit the truth Trump would rather forget. The great news is the youth of this country cannot be fooled. 10,000 kids turn 18 every day, and they know better, even if old, white middle America doesn’t. Sooner of later the lies and obstruction with catch up with him and this dark, dark period in our history will be over. History will not be kind to Trump and his apologists.
6
Over here on the other side of the world we stand, mouths wide open in awe at this sad, bad, and mad Mr Trump.
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Poor America. I weep for what was.
14
Thank you New York Times - journalism our 4th branch of government. A fascinating recap that catalogues all the sordid details. Should point out that collusion has many synonyms - Rudy J. knows that, so does Pence. Here they are, take your pick -- conspiracy, intrigue, deceit, complicity, connivance, secret understanding. All of these well within the range of known and frequently demonstrated attributes of Cadet Bone Spurs. Let's add Mitch Machiavelli McConnell and Lyndsay Graham to the list of facilitators. Then of course there is Steven Miller - he does not belong in the White House, or anywhere near it. An anti-immigration warrior. In my mind he is there as a food taster/poison tester for Trumputin. Rumor has it that Miller consumes 1/4 of all fast food deliveries for the Orange Haired one. He is destined to go under the bus as just one of a whole regiment of Trump coffee servers. This whole circus is going to make a hugely successful book in the near future. Stock up on popcorn.
4
To quote the rightwinger grand dame Phyllis Schlafley, "None Dare Call It Treason". Trump and his enblers like McConnell, Graham, Nunes, Ryan, and on and on, soil our country every day.
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Funny how our president and his supporters forget one basic fact: he wasn’t elected by the people ... he was installed by an electoral college system apt for the 1780s and not for the 20-teens. Mr. Trump is a scam artist and a flim-flam outer borough boy desperate for acceptance and legitimacy from the Manhattan swells and DC elites who dismiss him as a parvenu who reached power via Moscow and a rigged system.
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@PMIGuy electoral college installed every president. you want change that you need amend the constitution. good luck with that.
Trump is a criminal. He's been on the shady side of the law his entire life, the beneficiary and a participant in his father's cheating tenants, business partners, and the government on taxes. Trump himself has been cheating business suppliers, partners, and investors since he started his own business career. And Trump has continuously worked hard to duck and evade any responsibility for his activities, legal and illegal, while profiting any way he can, legal or illegal. When caught, the uses the same tactics, over and over: lie, distract, counter-sue, and payoff or buyoff when he can. We see this pattern over and over - the lawsuit settlements; the fines paid; the counter-suits dropped; the payoffs to 'romantic partners'; the evasive accounting maneuvers to hide the actions of his "fixer" Cohen. Trump's hands are dirty to his elbows... and Mr. Mueller has been digging into the dirt for a while now. I'm really looking forward to the report. Watch for Trump and his sycophants in Justice to try to bury what Mueller determines. I really, really, really hope it "leaks" - because it is important to the survival of our democracy that the public knows, as much as is possible to determine, the facts and truth of Trump's dealings with Russia, his actions to hide those dealings, and what he owes to whom.
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We must face the horrible fact that the President of the United States made a bargain with the devil and the name of the bargain was treason. Since this doesn't seem to bother Mitch McConnell in the least it's time to eliminate Mr. McConnell in the 2020 election in Kentucky. It's quite possible that when Mueller comes back with irrefutable evidence of this treason, McConnell still won't budge. I hope Pelosi will finally take off the gloves and call McConnell what Mueller will call Trump. Because it's true.
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My thoughts are that it would appear that there is enough circumstantial evidence that Trump is either willingly or inadvertently a Russian asset. If this is true, then the President should be considered a traitor to his country.
25
The man thinks all of his Twitter followers are on his side, not so. Some like me like to keep the devil in view so we know what he is trying to do.
It is a shame that our great country is spiraling out of control with this man at its helm. Evident in the wall he wants, the wonderful tax package he gave us and his disregard for the law of the land.
Heaven help us all! (how many weeks is it to Election 2020, it can't come soon enough for me.)
12
There is a serious flaw in the Constitution of the USA because we have a dangerous man in total control of a lot of nuclear weapons WITHOUT any kind of supervision or restriction.The UN shall bring this situation and raise the problem in front of the whole world.This man is unfit to be president and nothing is happening...Please America wake for God sake .
20
No president who is innocent would act in this way. No president who has a normal relationship with America's principal foreign adversary would desperately seek private conversations with Putin without any American officials or even interpreter present. No previous president had a record of money laundering over decades and scams (Trump U was the most recent). No previous president was a pathological liar with no concern for the truth or facts, only his advantage at the moment. The only explanation for Republican congressmen as enablers is not innocent: the power of money from foreign and American sources is enormous, and Russian oligarchs and the Mercers are major political players.
20
It is very hard to keep up with all the things that are going on around Trump and his ilk.
For example I was just the browsing Fox "News" website and found that the GOP is threatening to report several Democrats to the House ethics committee.
Intrigued by this harsh and brazen attempt at intimidation I did my own research and found this:
https://oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/multiple-whistleblowers-raise-grave-concerns-with-white-house-efforts-to
It's amazing! Is there any cookie-jar in the world that the Trumps DON'T have their dirty fingers in? If this report is true then the reasons for Mr. Trumps indifference to the Khashoggi murder become much clearer all of a sudden...
So I guess this will be the next investigation of Trump, and the intimidation has already begun, even before the first hearing. Finally some signs of efficiency in Congress :-(
8
I blame the elephants in the room - Mark Meadows, Devin Nunes, Mitch McConnell and especially the rat-like Lindsey Graham. It's like an episode of the 1960s show, "The Invaders," but instead of aliens from outer space who only LOOK like humans, they're all Russians who only LOOK like Americans.
16
Trump’s crazed and obsessive demand of “loyalty”—as though to a mob boss—or be fired or gotten rid of, should be sufficient grounds alone for impeachment and removal from office.
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My favorite part about these investigations is the longer the narrative is pushed in the media, the stronger Trump gets. It’s 2019. Democrats should focus on having an electable candidate for 2020.
6
You’re confusing two different issues.
The Democrats are a political party and are indeed starting the process of selecting candidates for 2020.
Trump’s crimes are being investigated by career law enforcement professionals, most of whom (Comey, Mueller, McCabe, Wray, Rosenstein, the FISA judges, etc.) are Republican, and several of whom were appointed by Trump himself.
Trump likes to portray these patriotic lawmen as liberal Democratic hippie socialists, but the childish smears of a desperate guilty man won’t work on intelligent Americans, who know that Bob Mueller is a decorated Marine combat vet who took down John Gotti.
10
Trump is a very poor leader and terrible president. What a disgrace to the country.
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If I made even half as many criminally-suggestive furtive movements, suspicious twits, and incriminating conversations as the loser, the TSA wouldn't arrest me—they'd shoot me on the spot, if city cops didn't catch me with their creepy face recognition on my way to a flight first.
Laws that demand we hand over our communication pseudonyms (like account names on the "social media" treasonous marketing sites) to (in)security officers, and websites (like those) that harass well-behaved users like us for our real names, are worse-than-meaningless if they won't stop actual trolls and criminals like him. In his hands, they're just plain dangerous, and a perfect tool for him to do even more intimidation like he's done against Cohen.
LOCK. HIM. UP.
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