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February 28, 2018 09:56 AM UTC

White House Turmoil Reaching New Heights

  • 22 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

As CNN explains, a White House that has always been in disarray is reaching new levels of dysfunction:

A volley of stunning revelations over Jared Kushner and the Russia probe are rocking Donald Trump’s inner circle and suggest a pivotal moment is at hand in the West Wing personnel wars that have raged throughout his presidency.

First, it emerged Tuesday that chief of staff John Kelly downgraded the top secret security clearance for the President’s son-in-law in a bid to clear up a scandal over whether top administration players are qualified to access the most sensitive intelligence.

Then, The Washington Post published a bombshell report that at least four countries had discussed how to use Kushner’s sparse experience, financial troubles and intricate business arrangements to manipulate him.

Hours later, CNN reported that special counsel Robert Mueller is asking questions about Trump’s business dealings with Russia before the President’s campaign, a potentially significant development in the investigation.

This would be a lot of noise for any administration to handle, but today President Trump turned up the volume even louder. From the Washington Post:

President Trump on Wednesday lashed out again at his attorney general, questioning why the man he picked as the country’s top law enforcement official was relying on the Justice Department’s Inspector General to review alleged surveillance abuses.

In a message that takes some liberties with the facts, Trump wrote, “Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!”

Trump was referring to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s assertion the day before that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz would look into alleged surveillance abuses that legislators on the House Intelligence Committee have been debating in recent weeks. An inspector general spokesman confirmed the attorney general had asked the office to review such issues but declined further comment.

Things are so crazy in the White House right now that it’s almost a secondary story that Communications Director Hope Hicks refused to answer even basic questions about interactions with Trump during a 9-hour closed meeting with the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. Critics allege that the White House is pushing the limits of the “executive privilege” defense.

Comments

22 thoughts on “White House Turmoil Reaching New Heights

    1. Since much of his "$10 billion" net worth is in his "Brand", that will evaporate seconds after Mueller or Congress one day issue indictments and/or articles of impeachment.

      1. Yes, Trump's "brand" right now is the fact that he is president of the US. Foreign organizations and wealthy Americans and money launderers get a direct line to Trump every time they stay in his hotel, buy an expensive condo, or give one of his hotels a tax break.

        Trump is not stupid. He knows that his house of cards ponzi scheme is completely dependent on staying in the Presidency. 

        Expect Trump to lash out more violently as Mueller circles in and the closer we get to the 2020 elections.

    1. Hmm, that would seem to eliminate any problems with Executive Privilege, should Congress wish to invite her back to complete her testimony, right?

      Of course, the real game is still Mueller's investigation, for which she presumably has already lawyered up.

        1. Executive privilege?  It shouldn't extend after leaving the WH, but with Republicans controlling the investigations, I suppose they won't be interested in pressing the issue, since it might actually, you know, uncover impeachable offenses.

          1. You might be surprised. If it starts to dawn on them that their own fortunes are tied to the Yam's fate they may decide to push him overboard to save their own careers.

            This is already looking like a Dem wave year and this increasingly tangled mess isn’t going to help the GOP. I just looked it up and the Dems took 49 seats from Republicans in ’74 just after Nixon left office.

      1. I have to preface this by saying that I think Trump is distorting the privilege beyond any reasonable boundary.  That said, the privilege lies with the executive, not the executed.  It doesn't matter whether the underlings are still employed, it matters that they were, and that the protected matters were discussed during that employment.

        If the Dems take a house of congress, I expect they’ll invite these folks back under subpoena; force the administration to formally assert the privilege, and then sue the president because the privilege doesn’t obtain.

        1. I'm not certain that even Trump is willing to divide the world between an executive and the executed.

          At least, not until he is back on 5th Avenue in New York, where he can test another one of his theories.

  1. "…Communications Director Hope Hicks refused to answer even basic questions about interactions with Trump …"

    Well, FORMER Communications Director.

    And you're description is a litte unfair.
    First -she was rold by the WH to only discuss her experiences on the campaign – not in the White House.
    And second, she is kind of cute.
    And then there's this: everyone does it.
    And Obama should have done more to stop it.
    And , of course, Her emails! Lock her up!
     

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