palmerreport--2020-01-28--Donald Trump panics and throws his impeachment trial lawyers under the bus

Donald Trump ’ s legal team spent yesterday putting on precisely the impeachment trial defense that Trump wanted them to put on .
We know this because his attorneys spent the entire time reciting his favorite phony conspiracy theories , attacking his personal enemies , and even speaking in Trumpian language .
But there comes a time when Donald Trump inevitably throws all of his own loyal people under the bus .
Just ask the ones who have been indicted , convicted , and imprisoned for committing crimes in his name ; Trump has publicly disowned most of them instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s impeachment trial defense team came together just recently , but its members are already going under the bus , simply because Trump gambled on a trial strategy that ’ s backfiring .
Even a drunk gorilla could have predicted that news of John Bolton ’ s upcoming tell-all book would leak right around the time of the Senate impeachment trial , and that it would be terrible for Trump .
But apparently Trump didn ’ t see this coming , or didn ’ t want to believe that Bolton could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had his legal team base his trial strategy around the assumption that Bolton wouldn ’ t have anything to say .
That backfired when word surfaced that Bolton ’ s book confirms Trump is guilty in his Ukraine extortion scandal .
Now Donald Trump ’ s own people are telling the media that this is entirely the fault of Trump ’ s impeachment trial team .
One of Trump ’ s people is telling Yahoo News that he ’ s “ flabbergasted at how stupidly they have handled this.
” That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has Trump ’ s fingerprints all over it .
Trump can ’ t accept that he blew it , so he ’ s having his people publicly blame his legal team .
But hey , Trump always hires the best people .

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Donald Trump’s legal team spent yesterday putting on precisely the impeachment trial defense that Trump wanted them to put on. We know this because his attorneys spent the entire time reciting his favorite phony conspiracy theories, attacking his personal enemies, and even speaking in Trumpian language.
But there comes a time when Donald Trump inevitably throws all of his own loyal people under the bus. Just ask the ones who have been indicted, convicted, and imprisoned for committing crimes in his name; Trump has publicly disowned most of them instead of trying to help them out. Trump’s impeachment trial defense team came together just recently, but its members are already going under the bus, simply because Trump gambled on a trial strategy that’s backfiring.
Even a drunk gorilla could have predicted that news of John Bolton’s upcoming tell-all book would leak right around the time of the Senate impeachment trial, and that it would be terrible for Trump. But apparently Trump didn’t see this coming, or didn’t want to believe that Bolton could get the best of him, because he had his legal team base his trial strategy around the assumption that Bolton wouldn’t have anything to say. That backfired when word surfaced that Bolton’s book confirms Trump is guilty in his Ukraine extortion scandal.
Now Donald Trump’s own people are telling the media that this is entirely the fault of Trump’s impeachment trial team. One of Trump’s people is telling Yahoo News that he’s “flabbergasted at how stupidly they have handled this.” That’s hilarious, considering this stupid strategy has Trump’s fingerprints all over it. Trump can’t accept that he blew it, so he’s having his people publicly blame his legal team. But hey, Trump always hires the best people.
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palmerreport--2020-01-28--Donald Trump just tipped off how truly screwed he knows he is

To say that Donald Trump had a bad day on Monday is to put it very mildly .
His team put on a tinfoil hat-worthy impeachment trial defense that surely didn ’ t gain him a single 2020 vote , even as Senate Republicans began talking about how they now have the votes to start the process of calling people like John Bolton to testify .
By late last night , Trump was so flabbergasted about how it was all falling apart for him , he couldn ’ t help but give it away .
Sometime after midnight , Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longtime Republican operative Rick Wilson made fun of Trump ’ s idiot base while appearing on Don Lemon ’ s CNN show .
Trump added “ Don Lemon , the dumbest man on television.
” It ’ s a surefire sign that Trump knows things are going wrong for him when he starts attacking people after midnight .
It ’ s an even more surefire sign that he knows he ’ s screwed when he starts insulting the intelligence of black public figures .
You can watch the video of Lemon and Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aside from Trump ’ s obvious desperation and ever-present racism .
First , he just basically urged his own supporters to listen to Rick Wilson expertly explaining why they ’ re rubes .
Why would Trump want to expose his base to that kind of reality ?
Dumb move .
Second , it ’ s notable that Trump didn ’ t dare to insult Wilson ; we suspect Trump is too afraid to take him on .
But again , Lemon is black and Wilson is white , so we shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for something that Wilson said .
You can find Rick Wilson ’ s new book here .

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To say that Donald Trump had a bad day on Monday is to put it very mildly. His team put on a tinfoil hat-worthy impeachment trial defense that surely didn’t gain him a single 2020 vote, even as Senate Republicans began talking about how they now have the votes to start the process of calling people like John Bolton to testify. By late last night, Trump was so flabbergasted about how it was all falling apart for him, he couldn’t help but give it away.
Sometime after midnight, Donald Trump tweeted a video clip in which longtime Republican operative Rick Wilson made fun of Trump’s idiot base while appearing on Don Lemon’s CNN show. Trump added “Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television.” It’s a surefire sign that Trump knows things are going wrong for him when he starts attacking people after midnight. It’s an even more surefire sign that he knows he’s screwed when he starts insulting the intelligence of black public figures. You can watch the video of Lemon and Wilson below:
Two things stand out here, aside from Trump’s obvious desperation and ever-present racism. First, he just basically urged his own supporters to listen to Rick Wilson expertly explaining why they’re rubes. Why would Trump want to expose his base to that kind of reality? Dumb move. Second, it’s notable that Trump didn’t dare to insult Wilson; we suspect Trump is too afraid to take him on. But again, Lemon is black and Wilson is white, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Trump attacked Lemon for something that Wilson said. You can find Rick Wilson’s new book here.
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palmerreport--2020-01-29--Donald Trump just tipped off how scared to death he is of John Bolton’s testimony

As Tuesday went on , the odds of John Bolton testifying in Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial continued to climb .
By Tuesday evening , the news leaked that Mitch McConnell had privately admitted he didn ’ t have the votes to stop Bolton from testifying .
Even Trump ’ s GOP Senate allies began trying to spin the notion that sure , Trump did all the things that Bolton is going to accuse him of having done , but he shouldn ’ t be impeached anyway .
By late night Tuesday , it sank in for Trump that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By around 9:30pm , Donald Trump was reduced to screaming things like this on Twitter : “ The Impeachment Hoax is just another political CON JOB !
” Okay , par for the course .
But then shortly after midnight , Trump gave away just how worried he truly was about John Bolton ’ s possible testimony against him : Best anyone can tell , John Bolton ’ s job in the Trump White House came to an end specifically because of Donald Trump ’ s Ukraine extortion scandal .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adamantly opposed to Trump ’ s scheme to force Ukraine to help him rig the 2020 election .
There is an argument to be made that Bolton should have filed a whistleblower complaint or used some other method to rat out Trump ’ s crime at the time .
But Bolton ’ s decision to wait does not make his accusations any less valid .
If this is the only argument Trump can make against Bolton , things are only going to get worse for Trump as the week goes on .

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As Tuesday went on, the odds of John Bolton testifying in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial continued to climb. By Tuesday evening, the news leaked that Mitch McConnell had privately admitted he didn’t have the votes to stop Bolton from testifying. Even Trump’s GOP Senate allies began trying to spin the notion that sure, Trump did all the things that Bolton is going to accuse him of having done, but he shouldn’t be impeached anyway. By late night Tuesday, it sank in for Trump that it wasn’t going his way.
By around 9:30pm, Donald Trump was reduced to screaming things like this on Twitter: “The Impeachment Hoax is just another political CON JOB!” Okay, par for the course. But then shortly after midnight, Trump gave away just how worried he truly was about John Bolton’s possible testimony against him:
Why didn’t John Bolton complain about this “nonsense” a long time ago, when he was very publicly terminated. He said, not that it matters, NOTHING!
Best anyone can tell, John Bolton’s job in the Trump White House came to an end specifically because of Donald Trump’s Ukraine extortion scandal. It’s been well documented that Bolton was adamantly opposed to Trump’s scheme to force Ukraine to help him rig the 2020 election. There is an argument to be made that Bolton should have filed a whistleblower complaint or used some other method to rat out Trump’s crime at the time. But Bolton’s decision to wait does not make his accusations any less valid. If this is the only argument Trump can make against Bolton, things are only going to get worse for Trump as the week goes on.
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palmerreport--2020-01-29--This whole thing with Donald Trump and John Bolton is even uglier than we thought

Even as “ president ” Donald Trump vehemently denies that he ever told John Bolton why he was withholding Ukraine aid , additional information has leaked from the Bolton transcript .
According to the New York Times , Bolton expressed to Attorney General Bill Barr his concern that Trump was “ granting personal favors ” to Xi Jinping and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan .
According to Bolton , Barr admitted he had the same concern .
Yet , they both sat silent in their fears and allowed Trump to do whatever he pleased .
While Bolton ’ s information is helpful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was really in fear of Trump ’ s National Security Council yet did nothing about them .
We ’ ve known for some time that Barr was this corrupt , but Bolton is a huge disappointment .
Bolton was long gone at the time of the Syrian pullout ( he was fired in September 2019 ) ; however , you would think that , as national security adviser , he had to know of Trump ’ s plans .
If he knew for a fact that Trump ’ s actions were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erdoğan , how could he sit idly by and allow Trump to carry out his plans to abandon the Kurds ?
It could well be that a clash over this very issue is at the root of Bolton ’ s ouster .
The Guardian published a story about Bolton ’ s firing on September 11 in which it was alleged that “ internal divisions ” were ongoing and that Trump “ disagreed strongly ” with Bolton .
It certainly makes sense that this “ strong ” disagreement included Trump ’ s Syrian plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations involve a Chinese telecommunications company , ZTE .
According to Bolton ’ s manuscript , Barr commented that he too had concerns that Trump “ created the appearance of having improper influence over investigations involving companies ” in both China and Turkey .
Such involvement is really no surprise .
Ever since stealing the presidency , Trump has done everything as president but his job .
Involving himself in investigations surrounding foreign companies has little , if anything , to do with that job .
Trump sees the presidency as a bargaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any reason that could or would benefit the United States or its citizens .
He seems to liken the presidency to running the Trump Organization , and we know how well he has done with the latter .
Unfortunately , we are seeing his poor negotiation skills as it relates to our country as well .

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Even as “president” Donald Trump vehemently denies that he ever told John Bolton why he was withholding Ukraine aid, additional information has leaked from the Bolton transcript. According to the New York Times, Bolton expressed to Attorney General Bill Barr his concern that Trump was “granting personal favors” to Xi Jinping and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to Bolton, Barr admitted he had the same concern. Yet, they both sat silent in their fears and allowed Trump to do whatever he pleased. While Bolton’s information is helpful, it boggles the mind to think he was really in fear of Trump’s National Security Council yet did nothing about them. We’ve known for some time that Barr was this corrupt, but Bolton is a huge disappointment.
Bolton was long gone at the time of the Syrian pullout (he was fired in September 2019); however, you would think that, as national security adviser, he had to know of Trump’s plans. If he knew for a fact that Trump’s actions were the result of some underhanded deal with Turkish Erdoğan, how could he sit idly by and allow Trump to carry out his plans to abandon the Kurds? It could well be that a clash over this very issue is at the root of Bolton’s ouster. The Guardian published a story about Bolton’s firing on September 11 in which it was alleged that “internal divisions” were ongoing and that Trump “disagreed strongly” with Bolton. It certainly makes sense that this “strong” disagreement included Trump’s Syrian plans.
With respect to China, the allegations involve a Chinese telecommunications company, ZTE. According to Bolton’s manuscript, Barr commented that he too had concerns that Trump “created the appearance of having improper influence over investigations involving companies” in both China and Turkey. Such involvement is really no surprise. Ever since stealing the presidency, Trump has done everything as president but his job. Involving himself in investigations surrounding foreign companies has little, if anything, to do with that job.
Trump sees the presidency as a bargaining tool for his own purposes, not for any reason that could or would benefit the United States or its citizens. He seems to liken the presidency to running the Trump Organization, and we know how well he has done with the latter. Unfortunately, we are seeing his poor negotiation skills as it relates to our country as well.
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palmerreport--2020-01-29--Donald Trump throws down the impeachment gauntlet and misses

If you ’ re going to throw down the gauntlet , you ’ d better make it stick .
That ’ s the lesson that some folks in politics understand quite well , and other folks in politics would do well to learn .
Then there ’ s Donald Trump , who these days keeps demonstrating that he understands less about how politics works than just about anyone in politics .
Donald Trump appears to be the only person in politics who thought he could simply not tell Republican Senators that he knew John Bolton ’ s book confirmed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magically not release the book , and not push to testify , and that it would all work out just fine .
Even as this quickly blows up in Trump ’ s face , he and his impeachment legal team are simply pretending that the Bolton thing isn ’ t happening .
Of course their words give away that they know how ugly this is getting , and how quickly it ’ s happening .
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said this today as he was closing out Donald Trump ’ s Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for this to end.
” Okay , that ’ s cute .
The thing is , throwing down that kind of gauntlet only works when things are trending in your direction already , or when you think that drawing the line can cause things to start trending in your direction .
Yelling that it ’ s “ time for this to end , ” at a time when even your own allies are rapidly acknowledging that this is just getting started , is nothing more than a cry in the dark .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gauntlet , with no expectation of hitting anything , and missing accordingly .
It ’ s a sign that Trump and his team don ’ t have any idea how to handle where this is rapidly heading .

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If you’re going to throw down the gauntlet, you’d better make it stick. That’s the lesson that some folks in politics understand quite well, and other folks in politics would do well to learn. Then there’s Donald Trump, who these days keeps demonstrating that he understands less about how politics works than just about anyone in politics.
Donald Trump appears to be the only person in politics who thought he could simply not tell Republican Senators that he knew John Bolton’s book confirmed his guilt, and that Bolton would somehow magically not release the book, and not push to testify, and that it would all work out just fine. Even as this quickly blows up in Trump’s face, he and his impeachment legal team are simply pretending that the Bolton thing isn’t happening. Of course their words give away that they know how ugly this is getting, and how quickly it’s happening.
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said this today as he was closing out Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial defense: “It is time for this to end.” Okay, that’s cute. The thing is, throwing down that kind of gauntlet only works when things are trending in your direction already, or when you think that drawing the line can cause things to start trending in your direction.
Yelling that it’s “time for this to end,” at a time when even your own allies are rapidly acknowledging that this is just getting started, is nothing more than a cry in the dark. It’s blindly throwing down the gauntlet, with no expectation of hitting anything, and missing accordingly. It’s a sign that Trump and his team don’t have any idea how to handle where this is rapidly heading.
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palmerreport--2020-01-29--GOP Senators are now moving the Trump impeachment goal posts at a million miles an hour

This evening we ’ re seeing two narratives play out in the Republican Senate .
The first is that Mitch McConnell is acknowledging that he doesn ’ t have the votes to stop witnesses from testifying in the impeachment trial , a rare admission from him .
The second narrative revolves around Donald Trump ’ s biggest GOP Senate allies trying to figure out how to recalibrate things within this shifting new reality .
John Bolton ’ s upcoming book confirms that Donald Trump is guilty of attempting a quid pro quo in his Ukraine extortion scandal .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard from any number of other sources .
But Bolton is the one source the Republican Senate can ’ t ignore , as evidenced by the apparently sufficient number of votes to have Bolton testify at the impeachment trial .
Trump ’ s allies now appear to be operating under the presumption that Bolton ( and perhaps others ) will soon testify against Trump .
So now they ’ re trying a new defense .
GOP Senators know that attacking John Bolton , or accusing him of lying , is going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the traditional Republican base .
So instead they ’ re now moving the goal posts by admitting to the media that Trump is indeed guilty of what Bolton is accusing him of , but that it ’ s not impeachable .
What ’ s interesting here is that thus far Donald Trump has loudly rejected any attempt at painting his Ukraine antics as having been anything less than – in his word – “ perfect.
” Trump ’ s narcissism won ’ t allow anything less , and his support base is indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does is perfect by definition .
But Republican Senators have to deal with a different calculus .
They have to answer to Trump ’ s cult-like base .
But they also have to answer to the traditional Republican base , which is less fanatical .
We ’ ll see if Donald Trump keeps quiet and lets his Senate allies try to save him by painting him as being incrementally guilty , or if he intervenes by publicly insisting that they ’ re wrong and everything he did was perfect .
Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever , if they ’ re going to survive the John Bolton onslaught .
But it ’ s difficult to coordinate on anything with an erratic lunatic like Trump .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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This evening we’re seeing two narratives play out in the Republican Senate. The first is that Mitch McConnell is acknowledging that he doesn’t have the votes to stop witnesses from testifying in the impeachment trial, a rare admission from him. The second narrative revolves around Donald Trump’s biggest GOP Senate allies trying to figure out how to recalibrate things within this shifting new reality.
John Bolton’s upcoming book confirms that Donald Trump is guilty of attempting a quid pro quo in his Ukraine extortion scandal. This is nothing that we haven’t already heard from any number of other sources. But Bolton is the one source the Republican Senate can’t ignore, as evidenced by the apparently sufficient number of votes to have Bolton testify at the impeachment trial. Trump’s allies now appear to be operating under the presumption that Bolton (and perhaps others) will soon testify against Trump. So now they’re trying a new defense.
GOP Senators know that attacking John Bolton, or accusing him of lying, is going to be a hard sell to large chunks of the traditional Republican base. So instead they’re now moving the goal posts by admitting to the media that Trump is indeed guilty of what Bolton is accusing him of, but that it’s not impeachable.
What’s interesting here is that thus far Donald Trump has loudly rejected any attempt at painting his Ukraine antics as having been anything less than – in his word – “perfect.” Trump’s narcissism won’t allow anything less, and his support base is indeed built on the notion that everything he does is perfect by definition. But Republican Senators have to deal with a different calculus. They have to answer to Trump’s cult-like base. But they also have to answer to the traditional Republican base, which is less fanatical.
We’ll see if Donald Trump keeps quiet and lets his Senate allies try to save him by painting him as being incrementally guilty, or if he intervenes by publicly insisting that they’re wrong and everything he did was perfect. Trump and his allies need to be more coordinated than ever, if they’re going to survive the John Bolton onslaught. But it’s difficult to coordinate on anything with an erratic lunatic like Trump.
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palmerreport--2020-01-29--Lindsey Graham just had an epic fail

Lindsey Graham just had an epic fail

Now that there ’ s overwhelming momentum and pressure for John Bolton to testify during Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , the Republican Senators who are most loyal to Trump are going to some pretty comical lengths to try to minimize the damage .
For instance , Senator Pat Toomey publicly suggested letting Bolton testify in exchange for letting Trump call someone like Hunter Biden .
That was obviously never going to happen , but it shows the extent of their desperation right now .
No one knows “ desperation ” better than Lindsey Graham .
So after his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wants to hear from John Bolton and he wants to read John Bolton ’ s book , Graham tried to spin that in a whole different direction .
Graham tweeted this : I totally support @ SenatorLankford ’ s proposal that the Bolton manuscript be made available to the Senate , if possible , in a classified setting where each Senator has the opportunity to review the manuscript and make their own determination .
Uh , nice try .
John Bolton ’ s book is already available for preorder on Amazon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave the Trump regime thirty days to let him know if it believed any of the information in Bolton ’ s book was classified .
The Trump regime failed to respond , so now Bolton is going to release his book .
In Lindsey Graham ’ s mind , all one hundred Senators are going to be willing to sit down in a SCIF and read a lengthy book , when they could just have Bolton testify and tell them what ’ s in it .
This is hilarious , and it tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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Now that there’s overwhelming momentum and pressure for John Bolton to testify during Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, the Republican Senators who are most loyal to Trump are going to some pretty comical lengths to try to minimize the damage. For instance, Senator Pat Toomey publicly suggested letting Bolton testify in exchange for letting Trump call someone like Hunter Biden. That was obviously never going to happen, but it shows the extent of their desperation right now.
No one knows “desperation” better than Lindsey Graham. So after his fellow Republican Senator James Lankford announced that he wants to hear from John Bolton and he wants to read John Bolton’s book, Graham tried to spin that in a whole different direction. Graham tweeted this:
I totally support @SenatorLankford’s proposal that the Bolton manuscript be made available to the Senate, if possible, in a classified setting where each Senator has the opportunity to review the manuscript and make their own determination.
Uh, nice try. John Bolton’s book is already available for preorder on Amazon. Its public release is happening. Bolton gave the Trump regime thirty days to let him know if it believed any of the information in Bolton’s book was classified. The Trump regime failed to respond, so now Bolton is going to release his book. In Lindsey Graham’s mind, all one hundred Senators are going to be willing to sit down in a SCIF and read a lengthy book, when they could just have Bolton testify and tell them what’s in it. This is hilarious, and it tells you how desperate Team Trump now is.
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palmerreport--2020-01-29--The real reason Mitch McConnell is admitting he doesn’t have the votes

This evening the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Washington Post are all reporting that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has privately admitted to the Republican Senate that he doesn ’ t have the votes to stop witnesses from testifying in Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
This is notable , because McConnell ’ s strategy is generally to leak or announce that he has the votes whether he does or not , and then hope it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy .
So what ’ s going on here ?
It ’ s one thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his own caucus that he ’ s losing .
It ’ s another thing for this to become public .
The question is who leaked it to the media .
If McConnell is the one who leaked his own words , then this could be McConnell ’ s way of informing Donald Trump that if any minds are going to be changed within the Senate Republican caucus , Trump is going to have to be the one to change those minds , because McConnell can ’ t make it happen .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaked by one or more of the Republican Senators who are planning to vote in favor of witnesses , because they ’ re looking for strength in numbers .
By letting it be known that witnesses are going to happen , it opens the door for even more Republican Senators to safely get on board with the idea .
But this logic runs out of gas once you realize that everyone in the GOP caucus already knows there are the votes for witnesses , because McConnell just privately told them all .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be the one who leaked his own words .
He appears to be throwing up his hands and signaling that this is no longer his problem or his fight .
Of course McConnell is never to be taken at his word , so there could certainly be more going on behind the scenes .
But it ’ s almost stunning to see McConnell admit he doesn ’ t have the votes for something , when his strategy is always to claim he has the votes whether he does or not .
Something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not good news for Trump .

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This evening the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post are all reporting that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has privately admitted to the Republican Senate that he doesn’t have the votes to stop witnesses from testifying in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. This is notable, because McConnell’s strategy is generally to leak or announce that he has the votes whether he does or not, and then hope it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. So what’s going on here?
It’s one thing for Mitch McConnell to admit in private to his own caucus that he’s losing. It’s another thing for this to become public. The question is who leaked it to the media. If McConnell is the one who leaked his own words, then this could be McConnell’s way of informing Donald Trump that if any minds are going to be changed within the Senate Republican caucus, Trump is going to have to be the one to change those minds, because McConnell can’t make it happen.
There is also the possibility that this was leaked by one or more of the Republican Senators who are planning to vote in favor of witnesses, because they’re looking for strength in numbers. By letting it be known that witnesses are going to happen, it opens the door for even more Republican Senators to safely get on board with the idea. But this logic runs out of gas once you realize that everyone in the GOP caucus already knows there are the votes for witnesses, because McConnell just privately told them all.
This brings us back to Mitch McConnell having to be the one who leaked his own words. He appears to be throwing up his hands and signaling that this is no longer his problem or his fight. Of course McConnell is never to be taken at his word, so there could certainly be more going on behind the scenes. But it’s almost stunning to see McConnell admit he doesn’t have the votes for something, when his strategy is always to claim he has the votes whether he does or not. Something is afoot, and it’s not good news for Trump.
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palmerreport--2020-01-30--John Bolton fires back at Donald Trump, hints at his next big move

Even as Republican Senators have continued to go back and forth today about whether to call John Bolton to testify in Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial , Trump has resorted to making threats against Bolton if he dares to release his new book .
Trump ’ s threats are little more than “ don ’ t do it or else , ” as he has no pathway for blocking or even delaying Bolton ’ s book .
But the whole thing seems to have fired Bolton up .
Various observers on Twitter have noticed that John Bolton has suddenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people , which is a big deal because it ’ s not something Bolton does often .
The first tweet simply mocked Donald Trump for his meltdown this morning about how he regretted hiring Bolton : “ mister president sir , you should fire the moron who hired John Bolton .
he ’ s the real idiot.
” The second tweet was much more telling about what might happen next .
Yesterday Palmer Report pointed out that even if the GOP Senate doesn ’ t call Bolton to testify , the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let Bolton testify .
Short of that , we explained that Bolton can simply go on television and give his testimony to a TV news host .
So it ’ s notable that Bolton has now “ liked ” this tweet : “ Dear @ AmbJohnBolton , I implore you .
Go on @ seanhannity .
Tell the absolute truth .
Let the chips fall .
You would make TV and American History .
Sir , respectfully , do it.
” In other words , John Bolton is all but saying that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify in Congress , he ’ ll simply go on television and give his testimony that way .
We don ’ t see him appearing on Hannity ; why go up against a host who ’ s going to spend the entire time shouting phony pro-Trump conspiracy theories ?
If Bolton wants to go on Fox News to reach a conservative audience , he ’ ll surely choose Chris Wallace .
Or he could just go on CNN to be more neutral .
But it ’ s clear Bolton is planning to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Even as Republican Senators have continued to go back and forth today about whether to call John Bolton to testify in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, Trump has resorted to making threats against Bolton if he dares to release his new book. Trump’s threats are little more than “don’t do it or else,” as he has no pathway for blocking or even delaying Bolton’s book. But the whole thing seems to have fired Bolton up.
Various observers on Twitter have noticed that John Bolton has suddenly “liked” two recent tweets from other people, which is a big deal because it’s not something Bolton does often. The first tweet simply mocked Donald Trump for his meltdown this morning about how he regretted hiring Bolton: “mister president sir, you should fire the moron who hired John Bolton. he’s the real idiot.” The second tweet was much more telling about what might happen next.
Yesterday Palmer Report pointed out that even if the GOP Senate doesn’t call Bolton to testify, the House can easily announce a public hearing and let Bolton testify. Short of that, we explained that Bolton can simply go on television and give his testimony to a TV news host. So it’s notable that Bolton has now “liked” this tweet: “Dear @AmbJohnBolton, I implore you. Go on @seanhannity. Tell the absolute truth. Let the chips fall. You would make TV and American History. Sir, respectfully, do it.”
In other words, John Bolton is all but saying that if he’s not allowed to formally testify in Congress, he’ll simply go on television and give his testimony that way. We don’t see him appearing on Hannity; why go up against a host who’s going to spend the entire time shouting phony pro-Trump conspiracy theories? If Bolton wants to go on Fox News to reach a conservative audience, he’ll surely choose Chris Wallace. Or he could just go on CNN to be more neutral. But it’s clear Bolton is planning to speak publicly, by whatever means necessary.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-29--Donald Trump and his impeachment lawyers go completely off the rails

Trump ’ s lawyers are lying .
They are , indeed , liars .
The evidence of this is that they keep referring to the “ transcript ” of Trump ’ s phone call with Ukraine President Zelensky .
It is not a transcript .
It is a redacted , excised excerpt of the phone call .
And that has been pointed out ad nauseum to them from the beginning .
The questions are starting for these guys and we need to hold their feet to the fire .
They should be forced to spew their lies on the record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it .
Aggressively .
It ’ s one thing to state an opinion .
Plausible deniability is how these characters roll .
We get that .
But Trump ’ s bodyguard of lies has done real damage .
These lying lawyers should be reported to their state Bar and fined or jailed .
Trump has relied on lawyers ’ spin his entire corrupt life .
This whole nightmare is because he ’ s had success in the courts by hiring corrupt lawyers , dragging out the process , and then quickly settling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like he will lose .
This process and Deutsche Bank loans have kept up the veneer of him being a businessman and a millionaire .
He is neither .
And now the lawyers should also be held responsible for his unlawful behavior .
We suspect this is beginning to happen .
Trump ’ s tweets and his stressed-out behavior at his rallies are showing the cracks widening .
Russian state media calls Trump a Moscow “ agent ” and suggests he ’ ll need to flee to Moscow .
If he attempts this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his cheesy lawyers with him .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Trump’s lawyers are lying. They are, indeed, liars. The evidence of this is that they keep referring to the “transcript” of Trump’s phone call with Ukraine President Zelensky. It is not a transcript. It is a redacted, excised excerpt of the phone call. And that has been pointed out ad nauseum to them from the beginning.
The questions are starting for these guys and we need to hold their feet to the fire. They should be forced to spew their lies on the record, and then they must be prosecuted for it. Aggressively. It’s one thing to state an opinion. Plausible deniability is how these characters roll. We get that. But Trump’s bodyguard of lies has done real damage. These lying lawyers should be reported to their state Bar and fined or jailed.
Trump has relied on lawyers’ spin his entire corrupt life. This whole nightmare is because he’s had success in the courts by hiring corrupt lawyers, dragging out the process, and then quickly settling for the least amount when it looks like he will lose. This process and Deutsche Bank loans have kept up the veneer of him being a businessman and a millionaire. He is neither. And now the lawyers should also be held responsible for his unlawful behavior.
We suspect this is beginning to happen. Trump’s tweets and his stressed-out behavior at his rallies are showing the cracks widening. Russian state media calls Trump a Moscow “agent” and suggests he’ll need to flee to Moscow. If he attempts this, let’s hope he takes his cheesy lawyers with him.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-29--Can’t let Donald Trump get away with this one

The onslaught of Trump ’ s crimes , moral wrongs , and lies is enough to challenge anyone trying to keep up .
Essential stories will fly under the radar .
There isn ’ t enough bandwidth to keep the public current on everything .
The story of the week is the impeachment trial .
The trial , with its clear end already in sight , has shifted the narrative away from Donald Trump ’ s decision to kill Iranian general Qasem Soleimani .
As a reminder , Trump acted with no Congressional support , other than Lindsay Graham .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on U.S. forces left 50 service members with traumatic brain injuries .
The first report was no injuries .
The next update was that there were some concussions , which Trump tried to write off as headaches .
Since Traumatic Brain Injuries ( TBI ) don ’ t always present immediately , the Pentagon will likely keep updating that number .
Donald Trump has already told the world that he does not consider TBI to be serious .
Influential veterans ’ groups have called on Donald Trump to apologize for his comments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fruitless waste of time .
Trump views the military as “ his ” and the soldiers as pawns .
For now , Trump has exhausted his need to keep Iran center stage .
At the Trump rally in New Jersey last night , Trump promised coming tax cuts and brought out an oldie but a goodie .
Mexico , he told us , will pay for the wall .
Wait , what ?
Are we back in 2016 ?
Are people going to fall for that nonsense again ?
Fox News cut away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words .
Giggling could be heard in the background at Fox as the plug was pulled .
There is so much going on out there in Trump world , it wasn ’ t even news when Trump appeared to lose control of his motor function .
The TV show president has turned our news consumption into a competition of competing stories .
The public loses its focus on one and moves on very quickly .
Military action without Congressional approval , soldiers suffering traumatic brain injuries , and the downing of a civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has changed the channel to the impeachment channel .
What happens when there is an acquittal in an impeachment trial ?
We know this story .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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The onslaught of Trump’s crimes, moral wrongs, and lies is enough to challenge anyone trying to keep up. Essential stories will fly under the radar. There isn’t enough bandwidth to keep the public current on everything. The story of the week is the impeachment trial. The trial, with its clear end already in sight, has shifted the narrative away from Donald Trump’s decision to kill Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
As a reminder, Trump acted with no Congressional support, other than Lindsay Graham. We now know that the retaliatory attack on U.S. forces left 50 service members with traumatic brain injuries. The first report was no injuries. The next update was that there were some concussions, which Trump tried to write off as headaches. Since Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) don’t always present immediately, the Pentagon will likely keep updating that number.
Donald Trump has already told the world that he does not consider TBI to be serious. Influential veterans’ groups have called on Donald Trump to apologize for his comments. Expecting an apology from Trump is a fruitless waste of time. Trump views the military as “his” and the soldiers as pawns. For now, Trump has exhausted his need to keep Iran center stage. At the Trump rally in New Jersey last night, Trump promised coming tax cuts and brought out an oldie but a goodie. Mexico, he told us, will pay for the wall.
Wait, what? Are we back in 2016? Are people going to fall for that nonsense again? Fox News cut away from speech after Trump started making up words. Giggling could be heard in the background at Fox as the plug was pulled. There is so much going on out there in Trump world, it wasn’t even news when Trump appeared to lose control of his motor function.
The TV show president has turned our news consumption into a competition of competing stories. The public loses its focus on one and moves on very quickly. Military action without Congressional approval, soldiers suffering traumatic brain injuries, and the downing of a civilian plane are gone and forgotten. American has changed the channel to the impeachment channel. What happens when there is an acquittal in an impeachment trial? We know this story.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-29--Turns out John Bolton sold out Donald Trump to the House last year, just before impeachment began

Here ’ s a fascinating new twist .
Donald Trump went on a Twitter rant last night suggesting that John Bolton ’ s new book and proposed impeachment testimony can ’ t be considered valid now , because back when Trump first fired Bolton , Bolton didn ’ t publicly say anything about Trump ’ s Ukraine scandal .
We ’ re not sure how this logic is supposed to work , but in any case , it just went out the window .
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel revealed this afternoon that back on September 23rd of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call with John Bolton .
During this call , Bolton “ suggested to me—unprompted—that the committee look into the recall of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch .
He strongly implied that something improper had occurred around her removal as our top diplomat in Kyiv.
” What stands out here is that the day after this phone call took place , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi formally announced Donald Trump ’ s impeachment .
There were already a number of moving pieces in impeachment by that point , including the whistleblower report .
So it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact Bolton ’ s phone call ended up having on the escalating impeachment process .
But House Democrats surely felt more comfortable moving forward with Donald Trump ’ s impeachment , after John Bolton confirmed to them from the inside that something was corrupt in how Trump had handled Ukraine .
You can have whatever opinion you want of how Bolton has handled himself throughout the impeachment process .
But this new revelation certainly shoots down Trump ’ s weird argument that Bolton shouldn ’ t be allowed to say anything now because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Here’s a fascinating new twist. Donald Trump went on a Twitter rant last night suggesting that John Bolton’s new book and proposed impeachment testimony can’t be considered valid now, because back when Trump first fired Bolton, Bolton didn’t publicly say anything about Trump’s Ukraine scandal. We’re not sure how this logic is supposed to work, but in any case, it just went out the window.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel revealed this afternoon that back on September 23rd of last year, he had a phone call with John Bolton. During this call, Bolton “suggested to me—unprompted—that the committee look into the recall of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. He strongly implied that something improper had occurred around her removal as our top diplomat in Kyiv.”
What stands out here is that the day after this phone call took place, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi formally announced Donald Trump’s impeachment. There were already a number of moving pieces in impeachment by that point, including the whistleblower report. So it’s tough to say precisely what impact Bolton’s phone call ended up having on the escalating impeachment process.
But House Democrats surely felt more comfortable moving forward with Donald Trump’s impeachment, after John Bolton confirmed to them from the inside that something was corrupt in how Trump had handled Ukraine. You can have whatever opinion you want of how Bolton has handled himself throughout the impeachment process. But this new revelation certainly shoots down Trump’s weird argument that Bolton shouldn’t be allowed to say anything now because he didn’t say anything earlier.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-29--This new Lev and Igor tape is even uglier for Donald Trump than you think

The Bolton revelations , published via the New York Times , have already made what has become known as the Parnas tape seem like old news .
But the recording – which was in fact made by Lev Parnas ’ associate Igor Fruman and then released by Parnas ’ lawyer Joseph Bondy – very much deserves a closer look .
It provides a breathtaking insight into how and by whom the United States is run these days .
Listening to the audio of the dinner that took place at Trump ’ s D.C. hotel on April 30 , 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sound of silverware being handled , drinks being stirred and probably more talk about golf than you ever wanted to hear – but most of all , you are going to witness hardcore lobbying in progress .
After some jovial banter at the beginning of the intimate dinner held for a small group of wealthy donors , the conversation turns to America ’ s ongoing trade war with China and tariffs become the central topic .
Somewhere in this discussion , Trump starts to complain about South Korea transshipping Chinese steel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumvent the tariffs .
Then he goes off on a rant about American involvement with South Korea which reveals his complete lack of historical and geopolitical understanding : “ We ’ re doing a big number for them , can you believe it ?
[ … ] How we ever got involved in South Korea in the first place .
Tell me about it.
” Finally , he circles back to his usual focus – the trade deficit : “ We ’ re losing $ 32 billion with South Korea.
” Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guests who has been identified as Barry Zekelman and invites him directly to comment on the quotas on steel imports he has imposed : “ What do you think of the quota deal we had ?
” As it turns out , Mr. Zekelman is not an officially appointed trade adviser to the American president .
Rather , he is a Canadian citizen and the billionaire owner of Zekelman Industries which comprises several steel-tube manufacturing facilites , both in Canada and the United States .
Through some of those subsidiaries , Barry Zekelman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s America First Action Super PAC in three separate installments , and these generous donations were most likely the reason for his presence at the dinner .
Quite possibly , Mr. Zekelman ’ s generosity is also the reason why his company has become the main supplier of steel slats for the wall Mr. Trump is building on the southern border , a fact that is revealed around the 23:40 minute mark of the recording : “ Yes , that ’ s what we make.
” At any rate , the donations are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has come under scrutiny by the Federal Election Commission .
At the April 2018 dinner , Barry Zekelman comments approvingly on Donald Trump ’ s 30 % quota for steel imports from South Korea and then proceeds to essentially tell the president what to do about his company ’ s other competitors , going forward : “ If you use that number for most of the other bad players , what I call the dirty dozen , if you will , that would solve everything.
” Later on in the conversation , Zekelman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on electronic monitoring for truck drivers – a set of federal regulations that is apparently hampering his ability to ship steel quickly and cheaply .
Throughout the dinner , other attendees take turns with Barry Zekelman to make their case to the president and to cue him in on how he could best benefit their business interests .
If you listen to the recording , be prepared to be surprised by how attentively Donald Trump – the man who is notorious for never listening to his official advisers – lends his ear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of the people who gets to speak for an extended period of time in this situation is Lev Parnas , who fills in Donald Trump on all matters related to Ukraine : the country ’ s chances in its war with Russia , the current leadership , Ukraine ’ s wealth in terms of untapped natural resources , business opportunities in the energy sector and the “ problems ” caused by the U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine .
If you look at all the pieces that are falling in place now from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolton ’ s concerns that Trump was doing favors for autocratic leaders , and a ton of other things we have learned about him – a very clear and coherent picture emerges .
Donald Trump is driven by pure , unadulterated venality and self-interest .
He is not a suitable person for the office of the president .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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The Bolton revelations, published via the New York Times, have already made what has become known as the Parnas tape seem like old news. But the recording – which was in fact made by Lev Parnas’ associate Igor Fruman and then released by Parnas’ lawyer Joseph Bondy – very much deserves a closer look. It provides a breathtaking insight into how and by whom the United States is run these days. Listening to the audio of the dinner that took place at Trump’s D.C. hotel on April 30, 2018, you will hear lots of laughter, the sound of silverware being handled, drinks being stirred and probably more talk about golf than you ever wanted to hear – but most of all, you are going to witness hardcore lobbying in progress.
After some jovial banter at the beginning of the intimate dinner held for a small group of wealthy donors, the conversation turns to America’s ongoing trade war with China and tariffs become the central topic. Somewhere in this discussion, Trump starts to complain about South Korea transshipping Chinese steel and helping the U.S.’s adversary to circumvent the tariffs. Then he goes off on a rant about American involvement with South Korea which reveals his complete lack of historical and geopolitical understanding: “We’re doing a big number for them, can you believe it? […] How we ever got involved in South Korea in the first place. Tell me about it.” Finally, he circles back to his usual focus – the trade deficit: “We’re losing $32 billion with South Korea.” Donald Trump then turns to one of the dinner guests who has been identified as Barry Zekelman and invites him directly to comment on the quotas on steel imports he has imposed: “What do you think of the quota deal we had?”
As it turns out, Mr. Zekelman is not an officially appointed trade adviser to the American president. Rather, he is a Canadian citizen and the billionaire owner of Zekelman Industries which comprises several steel-tube manufacturing facilites, both in Canada and the United States. Through some of those subsidiaries, Barry Zekelman donated $1.75 million to Trump’s America First Action Super PAC in three separate installments, and these generous donations were most likely the reason for his presence at the dinner. Quite possibly, Mr. Zekelman’s generosity is also the reason why his company has become the main supplier of steel slats for the wall Mr. Trump is building on the southern border, a fact that is revealed around the 23:40 minute mark of the recording: “Yes, that’s what we make.” At any rate, the donations are definitely the reason for which Mr. Zekelman has come under scrutiny by the Federal Election Commission.
At the April 2018 dinner, Barry Zekelman comments approvingly on Donald Trump’s 30% quota for steel imports from South Korea and then proceeds to essentially tell the president what to do about his company’s other competitors, going forward: “If you use that number for most of the other bad players, what I call the dirty dozen, if you will, that would solve everything.” Later on in the conversation, Zekelman also lobbies Trump to loosen the rules on electronic monitoring for truck drivers – a set of federal regulations that is apparently hampering his ability to ship steel quickly and cheaply.
Throughout the dinner, other attendees take turns with Barry Zekelman to make their case to the president and to cue him in on how he could best benefit their business interests. If you listen to the recording, be prepared to be surprised by how attentively Donald Trump – the man who is notorious for never listening to his official advisers – lends his ear to the people who surround him here. One of the people who gets to speak for an extended period of time in this situation is Lev Parnas, who fills in Donald Trump on all matters related to Ukraine: the country’s chances in its war with Russia, the current leadership, Ukraine’s wealth in terms of untapped natural resources, business opportunities in the energy sector and the “problems” caused by the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine.
If you look at all the pieces that are falling in place now from various directions – the Parnas tape, Bolton’s concerns that Trump was doing favors for autocratic leaders, and a ton of other things we have learned about him – a very clear and coherent picture emerges. Donald Trump is driven by pure, unadulterated venality and self-interest. He is not a suitable person for the office of the president.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-29--The trouble with Bernie Sanders

The trouble with Bernie Sanders

I have a question for my fellow islanders who favor Britain ’ s impending uncoupling with the European Union : why doesn ’ t it bother you that Donald Trump , Vladimir Putin , the British National Party ( a xenophobic , far-right fascistic political organization ) and virtually every racist cab driver in London love Brexit ?
Take your time .
I ’ ll wait .
While you ’ re thinking that one over , permit me to suggest a reason .
I think that it doesn ’ t bother you that you ’ re a fellow-traveller with all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denials , you too are a bigot .
You hate foreigners with so much secret passion that you ’ re actually willing to destroy the British economy , make a devil ’ s free-trade pact with Donald Trump and pay more for groceries , medicines and fuel in order to enact your bigoted agenda .
I ’ ll bet you don ’ t like hearing that .
So let ’ s hear your real reason why you never try to disassociate yourselves from the fact that Donald Trump , Vladimir Putin , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all Brexiters .
Again , I ’ ll wait .
While we ’ re waiting , has anyone noticed that the GOP is subtly pushing for the candidacy of Bernie Sanders ?
Well , I have .
In fact , in watching the preliminaries to the impeachment trial Monday I heard , for the second time that day , Indiana Senator Mike Braun “ just happen to mention ” that a recent poll indicated that Bernie Sanders is surging in the Iowa polls .
I probably wouldn ’ t have thought anything of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exact same thing in an earlier MSNBC interview with Kasie Hunt that I watched just that morning .
What struck me about the interview is how clumsily he worked it in , and how feeble and inarticulate the staging for the comment was .
Note the point is made in the comment below in italics : Kasie Hunt : “ Do you have any questions or concerns about the president ’ s conduct ?
” Senator Braun : “ So , I ’ ve been out there on the record early on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was right , you got ta be careful … I said that this morning in a highly charged political atmosphere like this , anything you do , your behavior , it ’ s just hard when it seems to infuriate so many people on one side into where it doesn ’ t seem to make a difference , and it goes back to the fact , and I think this is why Bernie is surging in Iowa .
And a CNN poll shows Trump beating every Democrat.
” If I didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Braun is actually promoting the idea of a Bernie Sanders candidacy because he likes the idea of it .
And so does Trump .
The Senator seems to be saying that not only is Bernie doing very well indeed , but Trump is likely to beat all the Democrats , so if you want to get rid of Trump you ’ d better vote for Bernie .
Of course , Braun doesn ’ t hope that .
He wants Trump to win , not Bernie , so his “ advice , ” if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a poisoned apple .
And if I really had to stick my neck out , I think Vladimir Putin prefers a Bernie candidacy too .
After all , the Republicans appear to be taking all their directions from Moscow these days , so why should this time be any different ?
I think the big Russian machine wants Bernie to run .
Possibly because they have some real dirt on him , or maybe it ’ s just because they understand that Bernie is the least likely candidate to beat Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m suggesting is thin .
But I have to say , when a member of today ’ s Republican Party refers to a Democratic presidential candidate by his first name , without recourse to a pejorative , and suggests that he ’ s “ surging in the polls , ” I really have to wonder .
If it ’ s true , and if this is part and parcel of a new Republican talking point , I think it bodes ill for the viability of Bernie Sanders ’ candidacy .
And if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little bit , then I have to wonder why .
If , for example , it turns out that Donald Trump , the Republican political machine and Vladimir Putin all favor a Bernie candidacy , I hope Bernie supporters will at least do what Brexiters so far have failed to do , that is , at the very least I hope they loudly and publicly distance themselves from those malignant influencing parties .
After all , Donald Trump got help from the Russians in 2016 , whether he asked for it or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So it would be a stunning hypocrisy for any of us in the camp opposing Trump to do the same thing , after complaining so much about Trump ’ s behavior .
I plan to vote for Bernie if he is the candidate , even though he ’ s my last choice .
Elizabeth Warren is my first choice .
But it bugs me when I hear from Bernie supporters that it ’ s Bernie or nothing .
That sounds a little too much like glassy-eyed cultism , and I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m getting very tired of glassy-eyed cultists being in charge for the last three and a half years .
I ’ ll be considerably mollified , should it become clear to everyone that the Kremlin favors Bernie , if Bernie ’ s supporters loudly and unequivocally disavow it .
If they don ’ t , I ’ ll want to know why .
I want to hear their explanation .
And they can take their time .
I ’ ll wait .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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I have a question for my fellow islanders who favor Britain’s impending uncoupling with the European Union: why doesn’t it bother you that Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, the British National Party (a xenophobic, far-right fascistic political organization) and virtually every racist cab driver in London love Brexit? Take your time. I’ll wait.
While you’re thinking that one over, permit me to suggest a reason. I think that it doesn’t bother you that you’re a fellow-traveller with all those unsavory types because, despite your denials, you too are a bigot. You hate foreigners with so much secret passion that you’re actually willing to destroy the British economy, make a devil’s free-trade pact with Donald Trump and pay more for groceries, medicines and fuel in order to enact your bigoted agenda. I’ll bet you don’t like hearing that. So let’s hear your real reason why you never try to disassociate yourselves from the fact that Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, the BNP and your racist cab driver are all Brexiters. Again, I’ll wait.
While we’re waiting, has anyone noticed that the GOP is subtly pushing for the candidacy of Bernie Sanders? Well, I have. In fact, in watching the preliminaries to the impeachment trial Monday I heard, for the second time that day, Indiana Senator Mike Braun “just happen to mention” that a recent poll indicated that Bernie Sanders is surging in the Iowa polls. I probably wouldn’t have thought anything of that throwaway comment had Braun not mentioned the exact same thing in an earlier MSNBC interview with Kasie Hunt that I watched just that morning. What struck me about the interview is how clumsily he worked it in, and how feeble and inarticulate the staging for the comment was. Note the point is made in the comment below in italics:
Kasie Hunt: “Do you have any questions or concerns about the president’s conduct?”
Senator Braun: “So, I’ve been out there on the record early on that I didn’t think it was right, you gotta be careful … I said that this morning in a highly charged political atmosphere like this, anything you do, your behavior, it’s just hard when it seems to infuriate so many people on one side into where it doesn’t seem to make a difference, and it goes back to the fact, and I think this is why Bernie is surging in Iowa. And a CNN poll shows Trump beating every Democrat.”
If I didn’t know better I’d guess that Braun is actually promoting the idea of a Bernie Sanders candidacy because he likes the idea of it. And so does Trump. The Senator seems to be saying that not only is Bernie doing very well indeed, but Trump is likely to beat all the Democrats, so if you want to get rid of Trump you’d better vote for Bernie. Of course, Braun doesn’t hope that. He wants Trump to win, not Bernie, so his “advice,” if that’s what it is, is a poisoned apple.
And if I really had to stick my neck out, I think Vladimir Putin prefers a Bernie candidacy too. After all, the Republicans appear to be taking all their directions from Moscow these days, so why should this time be any different? I think the big Russian machine wants Bernie to run. Possibly because they have some real dirt on him, or maybe it’s just because they understand that Bernie is the least likely candidate to beat Trump.
I realize the evidence for what I’m suggesting is thin. But I have to say, when a member of today’s Republican Party refers to a Democratic presidential candidate by his first name, without recourse to a pejorative, and suggests that he’s “surging in the polls,” I really have to wonder.
If it’s true, and if this is part and parcel of a new Republican talking point, I think it bodes ill for the viability of Bernie Sanders’ candidacy. And if that doesn’t worry Bernie supporters a little bit, then I have to wonder why. If, for example, it turns out that Donald Trump, the Republican political machine and Vladimir Putin all favor a Bernie candidacy, I hope Bernie supporters will at least do what Brexiters so far have failed to do, that is, at the very least I hope they loudly and publicly distance themselves from those malignant influencing parties. After all, Donald Trump got help from the Russians in 2016, whether he asked for it or not, without disparaging Russian involvement. So it would be a stunning hypocrisy for any of us in the camp opposing Trump to do the same thing, after complaining so much about Trump’s behavior.
I plan to vote for Bernie if he is the candidate, even though he’s my last choice. Elizabeth Warren is my first choice. But it bugs me when I hear from Bernie supporters that it’s Bernie or nothing. That sounds a little too much like glassy-eyed cultism, and I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m getting very tired of glassy-eyed cultists being in charge for the last three and a half years. I’ll be considerably mollified, should it become clear to everyone that the Kremlin favors Bernie, if Bernie’s supporters loudly and unequivocally disavow it. If they don’t, I’ll want to know why. I want to hear their explanation. And they can take their time. I’ll wait.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-29--Fox News abruptly cuts off Donald Trump’s speech after he suffers bizarre cognitive malfunction

When Donald Trump held a hate rally in New Jersey last night , it didn ’ t get nearly as much media coverage as his rallies used to get .
That ’ s both because most television viewers have no interest in what he says during his rallies these days in general , and because Trump is becoming more embarrassingly incoherent than ever .
Fox News did air a portion of Donald Trump ’ s rally speech last night .
But that live coverage came to an abrupt end right after Trump ’ s brain suffered an abrupt cognitive malfunction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the video below , and see if you can figure out what Trump was trying to say when that jumble of random consonants and vowels came out of his mouth : We think Trump might have said something like “ criminacalukluk ” – but really , your guess is as good as anyone else ’ s .
The reality is that everyone randomly misspeaks from time to time .
But Trump just keeps doing it more and more frequently , and in ways which suggest that something is clinically wrong with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s become so blatant that Fox News is now cutting him off when he begins speaking like a severely cognitively impaired person .
Yet Trump still refuses to disclose the real reason he was abruptly taken to Walter Reed Medical Center in November .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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When Donald Trump held a hate rally in New Jersey last night, it didn’t get nearly as much media coverage as his rallies used to get. That’s both because most television viewers have no interest in what he says during his rallies these days in general, and because Trump is becoming more embarrassingly incoherent than ever.
Fox News did air a portion of Donald Trump’s rally speech last night. But that live coverage came to an abrupt end right after Trump’s brain suffered an abrupt cognitive malfunction of some kind. Take a look at the video below, and see if you can figure out what Trump was trying to say when that jumble of random consonants and vowels came out of his mouth:
Fox News cut away from Trump's rally immediately after his brain short-circuited pic.twitter.com/0jgKzVLb9E — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2020
We think Trump might have said something like “criminacalukluk” – but really, your guess is as good as anyone else’s. The reality is that everyone randomly misspeaks from time to time. But Trump just keeps doing it more and more frequently, and in ways which suggest that something is clinically wrong with his mouth, tongue, and brain. It’s become so blatant that Fox News is now cutting him off when he begins speaking like a severely cognitively impaired person. Yet Trump still refuses to disclose the real reason he was abruptly taken to Walter Reed Medical Center in November.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


DAY OF RECKONING

Today , Huffington Post told us something we , in our hearts , already knew : The GOP is ready to acquit “ president ” Donald Trump despite new evidence released from John Bolton ’ s book .
We really aren ’ t surprised , are we ?
HuffPost , however , points out something that apparently Republican senators don ’ t remember history .
Since their memories have been bad all along , this is also no surprise , but it could be good news .
In 1974 , Republican senators voted to protect Nixon prior to the release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of that vote , Republicans took an old-fashioned beating in the next election .
When asked whether he had any concerns about not hearing from Bolton given the information released from the manuscript , Tim Scott ( R-SC ) replied , “ None.
” Scott ’ s fellow South Carolina senator , Lindsey Graham said that if they are forced to call Bolton , Republicans will demand to call the uninvolved witnesses Trump wants .
“ If you call John Bolton , we ’ re calling everybody , ” Graham told HuffPost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call Graham ’ s bluff .
Joe and/or Hunter Biden won ’ t be called to testify one way or the other .
Again , they are the victims of Trump ’ s nonsense .
Calling them risks making things even worse for Trump , but you can ’ t tell these single-minded idiots that .
Give it a shot , Lindsey , and watch it blow up in your face .
So far , we know that Trump told Bolton his real reason for holding up Ukraine ’ s aid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe Bolton .
Then , Lev Parnas released his audio tapes of Trump saying “ take her out ” about Marie Yovanovitch .
Considering that neither Fruman nor Parnas was able to fire Yovanovitch , this sounds like a violent threat .
Incidentally , Bolton warned the House Foreign Affairs Committee that it should “ look into ” Yovanovitch ’ s termination as it looked “ suspect.
” Eliot Engel , Democratic chair of that committee , said that Bolton spoke with him about the issue last year .
Let the Republicans continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay for it in November .
Then , we can begin the process of trying to repair our country from the damage inflicted by Trump ’ s “ presidency ” and his GOP lackeys .
That will be a day of celebration and will benefit even those who refuse to see the damage that has been done .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Today, Huffington Post told us something we, in our hearts, already knew: The GOP is ready to acquit “president” Donald Trump despite new evidence released from John Bolton’s book. We really aren’t surprised, are we? HuffPost, however, points out something that apparently Republican senators don’t remember history. Since their memories have been bad all along, this is also no surprise, but it could be good news.
In 1974, Republican senators voted to protect Nixon prior to the release of the Watergate tapes. As a result of that vote, Republicans took an old-fashioned beating in the next election. When asked whether he had any concerns about not hearing from Bolton given the information released from the manuscript, Tim Scott (R-SC) replied, “None.” Scott’s fellow South Carolina senator, Lindsey Graham said that if they are forced to call Bolton, Republicans will demand to call the uninvolved witnesses Trump wants. “If you call John Bolton, we’re calling everybody,” Graham told HuffPost. The remaining Republicans and Democrats need to call Graham’s bluff. Joe and/or Hunter Biden won’t be called to testify one way or the other. Again, they are the victims of Trump’s nonsense. Calling them risks making things even worse for Trump, but you can’t tell these single-minded idiots that. Give it a shot, Lindsey, and watch it blow up in your face.
So far, we know that Trump told Bolton his real reason for holding up Ukraine’s aid. There is no plausible reason to not believe Bolton. Then, Lev Parnas released his audio tapes of Trump saying “take her out” about Marie Yovanovitch. Considering that neither Fruman nor Parnas was able to fire Yovanovitch, this sounds like a violent threat. Incidentally, Bolton warned the House Foreign Affairs Committee that it should “look into” Yovanovitch’s termination as it looked “suspect.” Eliot Engel, Democratic chair of that committee, said that Bolton spoke with him about the issue last year.
Let the Republicans continue their fools’ errand. They will pay for it in November. Then, we can begin the process of trying to repair our country from the damage inflicted by Trump’s “presidency” and his GOP lackeys. That will be a day of celebration and will benefit even those who refuse to see the damage that has been done.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-30--John Roberts finally woke up

John Roberts finally woke up

Before Donald Trump ’ s Senate impeachment trial began , it was easy to predict what role Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts would end up playing in it .
Roberts was going to base his approach on the appearance of propriety .
Not actual propriety , mind you .
Roberts has shown with his votes over the years that he doesn ’ t care about that .
But he ’ s always worried very much about the appearance that he ’ s being fair to both sides .
It ’ s a narcissism thing , we suppose .
Going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was surely going to try to assert himself as little as possible , in the hope that history wouldn ’ t even remember he was involved .
But if anyone involved in the trial pushed him to the point where he feared that he ’ d be seen as complicit with one side or the other , he would push back just enough to feel satisfied that he ’ d distanced himself from that particular side .
Throughout the first week of the trial , Roberts might as well have not been there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to generically stress decorum to both sides , was absurd .
He didn ’ t ask Trump ’ s side to stop lying , or anything like that .
He simply asked both sides to be nice to each other .
But tonight , Trump ’ s goons finally pushed Roberts to the point where he woke up and took something of a stand .
Today was the day that Senators got to submit questions for the prosecution and/or defense to answer .
John Roberts had the job of reading the questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Trump detractor who has since become a suspiciously cartoonish Trump cheerleader , tried to get Roberts to read aloud a question that included the name of the alleged whistleblower .
Roberts refused to do it .
It ’ s about one-tenth of what Roberts should be doing to make this a fair trial .
But at least he ’ s awake now .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Before Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial began, it was easy to predict what role Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts would end up playing in it. Roberts was going to base his approach on the appearance of propriety. Not actual propriety, mind you. Roberts has shown with his votes over the years that he doesn’t care about that. But he’s always worried very much about the appearance that he’s being fair to both sides. It’s a narcissism thing, we suppose.
Going into the impeachment trial, John Roberts was surely going to try to assert himself as little as possible, in the hope that history wouldn’t even remember he was involved. But if anyone involved in the trial pushed him to the point where he feared that he’d be seen as complicit with one side or the other, he would push back just enough to feel satisfied that he’d distanced himself from that particular side.
Throughout the first week of the trial, Roberts might as well have not been there. The only time he spoke up, to generically stress decorum to both sides, was absurd. He didn’t ask Trump’s side to stop lying, or anything like that. He simply asked both sides to be nice to each other. But tonight, Trump’s goons finally pushed Roberts to the point where he woke up and took something of a stand.
Today was the day that Senators got to submit questions for the prosecution and/or defense to answer. John Roberts had the job of reading the questions aloud. Senator Rand Paul, the former Trump detractor who has since become a suspiciously cartoonish Trump cheerleader, tried to get Roberts to read aloud a question that included the name of the alleged whistleblower. Roberts refused to do it. It’s about one-tenth of what Roberts should be doing to make this a fair trial. But at least he’s awake now.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-30--Former CIA Director rips Donald Trump to pieces

When it comes to politics , particularly in an election year , there ’ s no shortage of hyperbole .
All too often , supporters on either side of the aisle panic about the possible re-election of an incumbent governor or president and what it may mean for American politics .
This is true for pundits as well who hope to escalate tensions in an already close race for the sake of ratings , sometimes gauging the reactions of the most extreme supporters .
Gen. Michael Hayden , however , is no pundit .
A four-star retired general of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Security Council of Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush , and subsequently as director of the CIA under Presidents Bush and Obama , Hayden did not take kindly to Donald Trump ’ s latest Twitter attack on CNN .
The attack in which Trump accused CNN of being a purveyor of fake news that lies to the rest of the world was hardly anything new , but perhaps that may be a big part of the problem – that we ’ re gradually becoming numb to Trump ’ s blatant displays of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who we are or who we are becoming , I have wasted 40 years of my life , ” Hayden tweeted back , referring to his long and decorated career under presidents belonging to both major parties .
“ Until now it was not possible for me to conceive of an American President capable of such an outrageous assault on truth , a free press or the first amendment.
” It ’ s one thing for a rival politician to say this , or a pundit to point it out , but something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent their entire lives working in defense in the name of American ideals .
He ’ s also far from being the first one – it ’ s part of a growing trend .
Trump may go on to lose in November , but that may not be enough if we are to survive the considerable damage he ’ s done in the last four years to our institutions .
Voting is simply not enough – we must vocally oppose everything he and his party stands for and fight them every step of @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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When it comes to politics, particularly in an election year, there’s no shortage of hyperbole. All too often, supporters on either side of the aisle panic about the possible re-election of an incumbent governor or president and what it may mean for American politics. This is true for pundits as well who hope to escalate tensions in an already close race for the sake of ratings, sometimes gauging the reactions of the most extreme supporters. Gen. Michael Hayden, however, is no pundit.
A four-star retired general of the U.S. Air Force who served on the National Security Council of Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, and subsequently as director of the CIA under Presidents Bush and Obama, Hayden did not take kindly to Donald Trump’s latest Twitter attack on CNN. The attack in which Trump accused CNN of being a purveyor of fake news that lies to the rest of the world was hardly anything new, but perhaps that may be a big part of the problem – that we’re gradually becoming numb to Trump’s blatant displays of authoritarian behavior.
“If this is who we are or who we are becoming, I have wasted 40 years of my life,” Hayden tweeted back, referring to his long and decorated career under presidents belonging to both major parties. “Until now it was not possible for me to conceive of an American President capable of such an outrageous assault on truth, a free press or the first amendment.” It’s one thing for a rival politician to say this, or a pundit to point it out, but something else entirely for someone who’s spent their entire lives working in defense in the name of American ideals. He’s also far from being the first one – it’s part of a growing trend.
Trump may go on to lose in November, but that may not be enough if we are to survive the considerable damage he’s done in the last four years to our institutions. Voting is simply not enough – we must vocally oppose everything he and his party stands for and fight them every step of the way, however we can.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-30--John Bolton just called Donald Trump’s bluff

Earlier today , Donald Trump essentially threatened to pull out a magic wand and use it to somehow block or delay John Bolton ’ s new book from being published .
This kind of nonsensical threat isn ’ t going to get Trump anywhere , and we ’ ve been waiting for Bolton to call his bluff .
Sure enough , this evening it ’ s happening .
Donald Trump ’ s White House National Security Council made the laughable claim today that John Bolton ’ s new book is full of top secret information – as if Bolton would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with classified intel .
This threat has no chance of standing up in court , and in fact the only way it could result in Bolton ’ s book being delayed is if the judge can ’ t stop laughing at Trump ’ s case .
This kind of bluff only works if the target is naive or jittery enough to cave .
This evening John Bolton ’ s lawyer released a statement to the media , confirming that he ’ s spent the past week trying to communicate with the National Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the NSC won ’ t even respond to him .
The lawyer also included his own emails to NSC as proof .
This is crucial because it demonstrates that no attempt is being made by the Trump regime at acting in good faith , or in earnestly attempting to resolve the supposed problem .
This kind of thing weighs heavily on legal rulings .
If Donald Trump were to file in court for an emergency injunction asking a judge to order a halt to the release of John Bolton ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened anyway .
But now that John Bolton is calling Trump ’ s bluff by demonstrating proof of bad faith , it all but guarantees that Trump can ’ t get anywhere with any attempted legal maneuver .

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Earlier today, Donald Trump essentially threatened to pull out a magic wand and use it to somehow block or delay John Bolton’s new book from being published. This kind of nonsensical threat isn’t going to get Trump anywhere, and we’ve been waiting for Bolton to call his bluff. Sure enough, this evening it’s happening.
Donald Trump’s White House National Security Council made the laughable claim today that John Bolton’s new book is full of top secret information – as if Bolton would be stupid enough to fill his book with classified intel. This threat has no chance of standing up in court, and in fact the only way it could result in Bolton’s book being delayed is if the judge can’t stop laughing at Trump’s case. This kind of bluff only works if the target is naive or jittery enough to cave.
This evening John Bolton’s lawyer released a statement to the media, confirming that he’s spent the past week trying to communicate with the National Security Council about the supposed classified information, and that the NSC won’t even respond to him. The lawyer also included his own emails to NSC as proof. This is crucial because it demonstrates that no attempt is being made by the Trump regime at acting in good faith, or in earnestly attempting to resolve the supposed problem.
This kind of thing weighs heavily on legal rulings. If Donald Trump were to file in court for an emergency injunction asking a judge to order a halt to the release of John Bolton’s book, it wouldn’t have happened anyway. But now that John Bolton is calling Trump’s bluff by demonstrating proof of bad faith, it all but guarantees that Trump can’t get anywhere with any attempted legal maneuver.
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.


palmerreport--2020-01-30--Rand Paul just completely screwed himself

Over the past couple years we ’ ve watched Republican Senator Rand Paul shift from loud Donald Trump detractor to cartoonish Donald Trump cheerleader .
The shift has been so extreme , and so suspicious in nature , it ’ s led to widespread questions about just what Trump is holding over his head .
Today Rand Paul appeared to confirm that whatever it is , he ’ d rather risk going to prison than risk getting on Trump ’ s bad side .
Rand Paul tried to submit a question in the Senate impeachment trial that included the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by far-right media of being the Ukraine scandal whistleblower .
It ’ s one thing for the media to dig up the alleged whistleblower ’ s name .
But when a government official like Rand Paul outs a whistleblower for purely punitive reasons , that ’ s a felony – and it ’ s the kind you definitely go to prison for .
Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read the question aloud , for obvious reasons .
So today , Rand Paul simply held a press conference and posed his question , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whistleblower .
Then just to leave no doubt , he also tweeted the name of the alleged whistleblower .
It ’ s not a public figure or anyone you ’ ve heard of ; there ’ s no reason to go look up the name .
Paul is claiming that because his question didn ’ t specifically accuse the person of being the whistleblower , he didn ’ t actually out the person .
But that ’ s not a defense that would hold up in court .
We don ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but because Paul clearly believes this person is the whistleblower ( or else he wouldn ’ t be so obsessed with a relative nobody like this ) , he ’ s committing a felony violation .
At this point there ’ s little doubt that Rand Paul will be criminally indicted for a felony if Donald Trump loses the 2020 election .
It ’ ll mean the end of Paul ’ s career , and likely the end of his freedom .
Paul just basically bet his life on the weak odds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it raises the question : what is Trump holding over Rand Paul ’ s head that ’ s so awful , Rand would rather go to prison than risk Trump ’ s wrath ?

Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support Palmer Report's 2024 efforts by donating now.
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Over the past couple years we’ve watched Republican Senator Rand Paul shift from loud Donald Trump detractor to cartoonish Donald Trump cheerleader. The shift has been so extreme, and so suspicious in nature, it’s led to widespread questions about just what Trump is holding over his head. Today Rand Paul appeared to confirm that whatever it is, he’d rather risk going to prison than risk getting on Trump’s bad side.
Rand Paul tried to submit a question in the Senate impeachment trial that included the name of an individual who has been accused by far-right media of being the Ukraine scandal whistleblower. It’s one thing for the media to dig up the alleged whistleblower’s name. But when a government official like Rand Paul outs a whistleblower for purely punitive reasons, that’s a felony – and it’s the kind you definitely go to prison for.
Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read the question aloud, for obvious reasons. So today, Rand Paul simply held a press conference and posed his question, which contained the name of the alleged whistleblower. Then just to leave no doubt, he also tweeted the name of the alleged whistleblower. It’s not a public figure or anyone you’ve heard of; there’s no reason to go look up the name. Paul is claiming that because his question didn’t specifically accuse the person of being the whistleblower, he didn’t actually out the person. But that’s not a defense that would hold up in court. We don’t even know if this person is the whistleblower, but because Paul clearly believes this person is the whistleblower (or else he wouldn’t be so obsessed with a relative nobody like this), he’s committing a felony violation.
At this point there’s little doubt that Rand Paul will be criminally indicted for a felony if Donald Trump loses the 2020 election. It’ll mean the end of Paul’s career, and likely the end of his freedom. Paul just basically bet his life on the weak odds of Trump getting reelected. So again, it raises the question: what is Trump holding over Rand Paul’s head that’s so awful, Rand would rather go to prison than risk Trump’s wrath?
Important note: Palmer Report has led the way in political analysis. Now we're gearing up to cover the 2024 election, up and down the ballot. Help support our 2024 efforts by donating now or sign up for our free mailing list.