President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

I want to come back to this, because I don't think it's that simple. These Republican Senators were willing to turtle up and turn a blind eye, hold the party line - until they got the feeling that they're being thrown to the lions to cover Trump's ass. It is an election year, and some of these people are in contested states. They've spot welded themselves to Trump and defending him, even if they are at some electoral risk as a result.

Trump's lawyers are out there telling them that there is no reason to call witnesses, that they don't know/won't say anything that changes the merits of the case. Then the Senators find out that not only was Bolton going to testify that Trump admitted the plot to him, but that the White House has had the manuscript for a month, knew what he was going to say, and still trotted this nonsense out there in hopes of quickly finishing off the trial before the news broke. The problem with that is that *after* it breaks, every Republican Senator who voted against adding witnesses and documents will look like they were either operating in full collusion to abort the trial (which is true, but they don't like to hear it out loud) or they were such idiots that they voted against witnesses when this sort of testimony was out there in the press.

Some of them don't appreciate being force fed one of those two choices, and may rebel. There is also much more pressure on the Romneys and Collins types who are on the record as being on the fence about calling witnesses. How do they back away from doing so with these stories in the headlines?

 

I think you are making the mistake of believing the Republicans in the Senate take their jobs here seriously.

"I haven't read the book."

 

Susan Collins: Bolton 'Strengthens the Case For Witnesses'

*concern*

 

Me either. I clicked the link out of curiosity, took one look at that horror of a dress, cackled, and linked it. Dress is, as noted above, fugly, and she looks like a self-promoting twit for wearing it.

 

For a Senator, Job One is getting re-elected. The one red line that Trump can't afford to cross is putting those Senate jurors at risk of losing their seats. Throw in the looming threat of a Blue Tsumani if they go ahead and sweep further evidence under the rug and things continue to come out. The entire history of the Trump administration is that damaging things leak early and often. If he is "acquitted" because the Senate suppresses evidence a reprise of the 2018 vote on steroids is more likely than possible.

 

It also strengthens the chances of her getting exiled from the Senate if she expresses concern but does not vote it.

 

Hand-wringing reaching Olympian proportions.

 

From Haberman, half an hour ago:


"Among the Senate Republicans angry at the White House on Monday over revelations about a manuscript submitted for review by John R. Bolton are top allies of President Trump, including Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader.

Just hours before the trial was set to resume, Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, and Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, were privately pressing the president’s advisers for an explanation about Mr. Bolton’s account, which undercuts a key White House defense of the president and blindsided the senators, according to people familiar with their thinking.

Speaking to reporters in the basement of the Capitol on Monday, Mr. Graham declined to detail his talks with the White House and said the report would likely not change his position on the outcome of the trial. But asked if he trusted Mr. Bolton, Mr. Graham retorted: “I don’t know if I trust anybody right now.”

 

Of all people you'd think McConnell would be cynical enough never to trust a word Trump says. And of course he doesn't. He's just pretending to be mad to let Trump know how badly he fucked up the con.

 

Betrayed by Donald Trump?
My god, what's left to believe in?

 

I hope. I really do. I still hope.

I just have no belief. Everything you wrote makes sense.

What has never made sense is the GOP completely selling everything it ever had to this president. And until ANYTHING actually happens, I refuse to believe it will matter. Hopefully, as you wrote earlier, it'll matter to 330 million, but again, until it actually happens...

 

Yes - and they all know they'll get primaried if they turn on Trump. This may hurt them in the general but they're not getting that far if they turn on Trump.