David Leonhardt writes that, for most of his career, Donald Trump has been able to lie with impunity:
Throughout his business and political careers, Donald Trump has had an important advantage: He is willing to lie, frequently and shamelessly.
Most other people in public life view reality as a limitation. Trump does not. If telling falsehoods is more convenient or helpful to him than telling the truth, he tells falsehoods. It’s worked out very well for him — making his business look more successful than it was, helping him land a primetime television show and, of course, allowing him to win the most powerful political office on earth.
Yesterday, the paper for which Leonhardt works -- The New York Times -- released a list of questions Mueller wants to ask Trump. They show that Mueller knows with whom he is dealing:
The list of questions that Robert Mueller wants to ask Trump, which was reported yesterday by The Times, shows that Mueller understands Trump’s ways. There are several dozen questions on the list that Mueller gave to Trump’s lawyers, and many of them are highly detailed. But they revolve around two themes: obstructing justice and lying.
The questions try to pin down Trump’s behavior and to tether him to reality in ways he rarely is. And the questions go into great detail about Trump’s efforts to impede justice.
They reveal that Trump can't talk his way out of the mess he has created for himself. The danger -- as several psychiatrists have noted -- is that, when Trump is cornered, he lashes out and acts irrationally. One way or another, we're approaching the moment of truth.
Image: CNN
6 comments:
I wouldn't be so sure, Owen. Mueller's mandate requires him to report back with recommendations to the AG. Since the AG has recused himself, Mueller reports to the deputy AG, Rod Rosenstein. However, House Republicans are running interference for Trump by preparing articles of impeachment against Rosenstein.
Depending on who replaces Rosenstein, we may never get to the moment of truth, just as we never got the truth about Harper's involvement in Afghan torture. I've learned not to underestimate the power of these people to suppress information that would incriminate them.
Cap
I'm assuming that Mueller's report will be made public, Cap. I'm not sure the Republicans would allow Trump to be impeached. I read that he is telling his supporters to make sure the Repeublicans hold onto the House and Senate -- because if they don't "they'll (the Democrats) impreach me."
Mueller has been very careful to run a leak-free operation as he cannot make his report public. Only the AG or his deputy can do that. We may never hear what's in the report.
Cap
I recognize that possibility, Cap. The moment of truth will have to correspond to a display of courage.
It's always useful to recall Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre and where that got him. Bear in mind that Trump or the congressional Republicans would have to make their move well before the mid-terms and they're already on shaky ground. A solid majority of the voting public are backing Mueller and sabotaging the special counsel with everything that has come out so far could be lethal to GOP fortunes in November.
Perhaps I'm naive, Mound, but I still believe it will all come down around Donald's ears.
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