My latest article on Impakter, here's the opening:
Trump is on the warpath. Trump is cornered. Two catastrophic verdicts against his personal fix-it lawyer Michael Cohen (who has taken a plea deal) and his one-time campaign manager Manafort (who hasn’t) have made the news this week. Both directly implicate him and the Trump organization. This is obviously driving him mad. And as usual, he has turned to Twitter to defend himself - or rather, go on the attack which is his natural self-defense system.
His target? Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a man he dislikes for not having shown him the blind loyalty he expects from all his aides:
The day before, Jeff Sessions had defended the action of the Justice Department:
Today, August 24, Trump responded with two tweets directed at Sessions, opening a new chapter in Trump’s long fight against the American justice system. To his usual cries of “collusion”, “rigged witch hunt”, he’s added, bizarrely, a more personal plea, or more accurately, a threat to Jeff Sessions:
Note how he cleverly starts off by repeating Jeff Sessions’ own defense of the JD’s action, saying of it: “this is GREAT, what everyone wants”. The implication is now, Jeff-boy, do it! “Look at all the corruption on the other side”. And he lists a long list of supposed Dem crimes. Including, this could not fail, “Mueller conflicts” and mention of McCabe, Strzok, Page etc.
But it doesn’t stop here. The second tweet completes the list and call to action:
For good measure, he’s thrown in the Clinton Foundation (always a convenient scapegoat), the “illegal surveillance of Trump Campaign” (there was none) and “Russian collusion by Dems” (what collusion?).
If you really feel you have to say something like this, you do it in the intimacy of your office, with all doors closed. Certainly not hollering on Twitter.
To go on Twitter to publicly twist the Attorney General’s arm and try to engage him in a series of actions to change or obstruct the course of the Justice Department's activities is simply unheard of. Historically, no President has ever done anything like this. Not publicly. Not even Nixon - especially not Nixon who liked to engage in shadowy, behind-the-curtains actions.
Does Trump’s openness play in his favor? For his fan base, there is no doubt that it works. For the rest (the majority), not so much. Mainly because his pronouncements are laden with lies and exaggerated claims. Like this tweet that preceded his attack on Jeff Sessions:
Read the rest on Impakter, click here.
Trump is on the warpath. Trump is cornered. Two catastrophic verdicts against his personal fix-it lawyer Michael Cohen (who has taken a plea deal) and his one-time campaign manager Manafort (who hasn’t) have made the news this week. Both directly implicate him and the Trump organization. This is obviously driving him mad. And as usual, he has turned to Twitter to defend himself - or rather, go on the attack which is his natural self-defense system.
His target? Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a man he dislikes for not having shown him the blind loyalty he expects from all his aides:
The day before, Jeff Sessions had defended the action of the Justice Department:
Today, August 24, Trump responded with two tweets directed at Sessions, opening a new chapter in Trump’s long fight against the American justice system. To his usual cries of “collusion”, “rigged witch hunt”, he’s added, bizarrely, a more personal plea, or more accurately, a threat to Jeff Sessions:
“Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” Jeff, this is GREAT, what everyone wants, so look into all of the corruption on the “other side” including deleted Emails, Comey lies & leaks, Mueller conflicts, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Ohr......— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018
Note how he cleverly starts off by repeating Jeff Sessions’ own defense of the JD’s action, saying of it: “this is GREAT, what everyone wants”. The implication is now, Jeff-boy, do it! “Look at all the corruption on the other side”. And he lists a long list of supposed Dem crimes. Including, this could not fail, “Mueller conflicts” and mention of McCabe, Strzok, Page etc.
But it doesn’t stop here. The second tweet completes the list and call to action:
....FISA abuse, Christopher Steele & his phony and corrupt Dossier, the Clinton Foundation, illegal surveillance of Trump Campaign, Russian collusion by Dems - and so much more. Open up the papers & documents without redaction? Come on Jeff, you can do it, the country is waiting!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018
For good measure, he’s thrown in the Clinton Foundation (always a convenient scapegoat), the “illegal surveillance of Trump Campaign” (there was none) and “Russian collusion by Dems” (what collusion?).
If you really feel you have to say something like this, you do it in the intimacy of your office, with all doors closed. Certainly not hollering on Twitter.
To go on Twitter to publicly twist the Attorney General’s arm and try to engage him in a series of actions to change or obstruct the course of the Justice Department's activities is simply unheard of. Historically, no President has ever done anything like this. Not publicly. Not even Nixon - especially not Nixon who liked to engage in shadowy, behind-the-curtains actions.
Does Trump’s openness play in his favor? For his fan base, there is no doubt that it works. For the rest (the majority), not so much. Mainly because his pronouncements are laden with lies and exaggerated claims. Like this tweet that preceded his attack on Jeff Sessions:
Read the rest on Impakter, click here.
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