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[B-Dubs]

Don’t you need the senate to impeach him also? You can’t just do a normal case against him.

That's apparently an unresolved Constitutional issue. Nixon resigned before it ever came to that, so unless Trump does the same we'd be in uncharted waters.

 

[Blizzard]

Don’t you need the senate to impeach him also? You can’t just do a normal case against him.

I'm just curious what that particular poster's justification was. It could be "the Senate will never vote to impeach", maybe.

 

[Snaku]

 

[PBalfredo]

Now, President Trump’s lawyers are pursuing a different course: cooperating with the special counsel in the hope that Mr. Mueller will declare in the coming months that Mr. Trump is not a target of the Russia inquiry.

I mean

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Trump has confidence in himself

if nothing else

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I suspect this is to insulate Trump if Mueller comes out and points the finger at everyone below him, especially if they don't have enough direct evidence to say Trump was involved.

Then the response won't be "He was clearly stymieing the investigation," it will be "He gave everything and cooperated fully, so this completely exonerates him."

 

[Haunted]

It's a great strategy if Trump is innocent in that matter.

It's a really bad strategy when he is the corrupt moron everyone believes him to be.


I'm fairly confident of the results here.

 

[MIMIC]

The cooperation of Trump's lawyers and the tone of this article give me a really weird feeling (well, the end of the article, at least)

 

[nomis]

Mr. Cobb sounds about right since he seems to have the intelligence of a corn on the cobb.

 

[Gurgelhals]

Obligatory:

This is Trump's lawyer:

This is Marvin Grossberg from the Phoenix Wright series:

 

[jufonuk]

Gee I wonder what Trump’s reaction to this strategy will be?

This is the calm before the storm trump was talking about.

 

[BrassDragon]

The cooperation of Trump's lawyers and the tone of this article give me a really weird feeling (well, the end of the article, at least)

Yeah, the end is pretty sobering. It seems like the White House is primarily approaching this as a PR problem instead of legal jeopardy.

A soft ball Senate report, published with lots of noise and breaking news, that doesn't tie any of the principals to collusion (focusing on foot soldiers and go-between organizations) could then be spun as a victory and used to make Mueller's investigation seem like a bureaucratic footnote. Might also give some top cover / plausible deniability to people being interviewed by the special counsel. Of course this is assuming that normal separation of powers has completely broken down on the Republican side which, right now, appears to be more of a House issue than a Senate issue.

Not sure it'll work but it's not wholly irrational.

 

[SaviourMK2]

Truth be told, I dont expect them to actually cooperate, I expect them to mislead and falsify, and make it look like they're cooperating.

 

[mehrmantrout]

Truth be told, I dont expect them to actually cooperate, I expect them to mislead and falsify, and make it look like they're cooperating.

Its a fishing expedition to find out what they've got on him, if only 1% of the allegations turn out to be true he's toast

 

[thepotatoman]

You guys really need to stop getting hyped about Mueller getting neutral information that may or may not further the investigation. Honestly, I'd even suggest to be prepared for the possibility that Trump himself isn't implicated outside of circumstance, and it's just people close to him that go down.

There's this weird assumption liberals like to make that the other side is going to defeat themselves at every turn. I think there's been plenty enough lessons that liberals need to give the other side a little more credit than that. That doesn't mean to expect multi dimensional chess, or a huge pivot, or for there to never be a mistake. Just be open to the possibility that they're a little less dumb than you think.

 

[User Name Here]

I'm still wondering if it's true Trump can pardon himself.

 

[Mivey]

Even if you're innocent, is it a good idea to help the team that tries everything in their power to get you in jail? I wonder if even Trump, with his hypocritical sense of loyalty, feels that this is really stupid.

 

[thepotatoman]

Even if you're innocent, is it a good idea to help the team that tries everything in their power to get you in jail? I wonder if even Trump, with his hypocritical sense of loyalty, feels that this is really stupid.

If you're a politician that has to worry about optics, it certainly can be the right decision. Especially given the particularly high standards of proof required for this investigation in particular.

Otherwise yes, you shouldn't give any information freely to people that are trying to build a case against you, regardless of what the truth is.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I'm still wondering if it's true Trump can pardon himself.

It would be a legal nightmare.

 

[Game-Biz]

I'm preparing to set my expectations as low as possible. It'll be a really, really terrible day if Mueller comes up with nothing. But, if he's been working this long on it I'm thinking he has to have something on the mutherfucker. Trump can't be that good of a criminal to outwit some of the best lawyers and investigators on the fucking planet. Just hope it happens soon.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

They're basically throwing their hands up and hoping there's nothing to find. Calling this a "strategy" is a gross misuse od the word.

 

[thepotatoman]

I'm still wondering if it's true Trump can pardon himself.

It's legally uncertain, and like any legally uncertain thing, it will not fall on legal arguments, but instead the outcomes the people on the supreme court feel best about, as long as it's within the bounds of what is legally certain.

And that's really hard to say, because the outcome will probably impact a lot more than the current situation.

 

[Diablos]

It’s like they know they can’t really do a good job of defending him so they’re just trying anything they can

 

[old manatee]

It's hilarious that the lawyer is taking Trump at his word. I want to see this dude's face when he finally realizes that Trump had been babbling pure fiction at him since the beginning.

 

[Kensation]

Mr. Cobb sounds about right since he seems to have the intelligence of a corn on the cobb.

I want my share of garmonbozia.

 

[valkillmore]

It's hilarious that the lawyer is taking Trump at his word. I want to see this dude's face when he finally realizes that Trump had been babbling pure fiction at him since the beginning.

It will look the same.

 

[Mr. X]

Oh so his lawyers were until now obstructing Mueller?

 

[atr0cious]

Don't we have it on the record that Trump lies to his attorneys so much, they had to start having two in meetings with him? There's no way they're giving up everything.

 

[RustyNails]

Trump's new layer Ty Cobb is either a mole for FBI or the world's dumbest lawyer. He has been wanting to go to Mueller since Day 1, and constantly says it will clear Trump by end of this year. Since its the same lawyer spotted at that cafeteria discussing the Trump case, I'm leaning with the dumbest.

 

[jstripes]

Trump's new layer Ty Cobb is either a mole for FBI or the world's dumbest lawyer. He has been wanting to go to Mueller since Day 1, and constantly says it will clear Trump by end of this year. Since its the same lawyer spotted at that cafeteria discussing the Trump case, I'm leaning with the dumbest.

"Your honour. My client, Preisdent Donald J. Trump, may have shit himself, but he did not shit himself intentionally."

*Trump rapidly stands up from his seat and inhales...*

 

[RustyNails]

I'm still wondering if it's true Trump can pardon himself.

Thats why NY AG Eric Schneiderman is also working with Mueller on Trump Organization matters, in case Trump tries to pardon his cronies or himself.

Also, pardoning someone (or oneself) means that you committed a federal crime first. This will be on your record permanently. The pardon is for that federal crime will also be on the record.

 

[pulsemyne]

The only reason this kind of turn around happens is because the person being investigated knows they are in the shit and need to cut a deal. Look for Trump's team to try and shift blame to Manafort and others. He is fully prepared to throw them under the bus.

 

[Metal B]

Lawyer: "Okay, Mr. Trump, we have a bulletproof strategy to stop the investigation!"
Trump: "I am listening."
Lawyer: "You just declare yourself guilty, this will immediately stop the investigation!"
Trump "... THIS IS GENIUS!"

 

[Fisty]

I guess Trump's lawyers realized they are never going to get paid and would rather just write a tell-all book when this is over. At least then they could get SOMETHING out of all this nonsense

 

[TetraGenesis]

Possible reasons:

He actually didn't do anything that will get him in trouble
He didn't do anything that will bother his base
He did something bad but just hopes they won't be thorough enough to ask for it
He did something bad and his attorneys intend to commit perjury/obstruct justice and say they are cooperating and turning everything over, but aren't actually going to give everything
He did something bad and is going to actually cooperate in the hopes of plea bargaining to something minor

I think there's also:

1) He did something bad but doesn't realize it because he's unintelligent and generally unaware. He thinks the actions he and his cronies took are, at worst, bad press.
2) As a narcissist, physically does not have the ability to acknowledge any of his actions or choices as "bad" or "wrong". If it is commonly accepted as "bad" it is the definition of the word that must bend to his will, not the other way around. His truth is the only truth and if other people don't accept that, they are the ones in the wrong.
3) A combination of the above.

I personally think it's 3.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

Several months from now . . .

 

[robochimp]

It isn't a bad move, this is not a normal case. The court of public opinion is the only one that matters.

The first question is can Mueller indict the president? It's never actually been tested. There are opinions that he can from the Nixon and Clinton investigations.

The next question is will Mueller indict him. Ken Starr opted to let impeachment deal with Clinton instead of an indictment. An all out PR attack is going to be necessary for Trump on this one.

And the final stop is Impeachment, again if Trump can control the message here he wins.

 

[theWB27]

You guys really need to stop getting hyped about Mueller getting neutral information that may or may not further the investigation. Honestly, I'd even suggest to be prepared for the possibility that Trump himself isn't implicated outside of circumstance, and it's just people close to him that go down.

There's this weird assumption liberals like to make that the other side is going to defeat themselves at every turn. I think there's been plenty enough lessons that liberals need to give the other side a little more credit than that. That doesn't mean to expect multi dimensional chess, or a huge pivot, or for there to never be a mistake. Just be open to the possibility that they're a little less dumb than you think.

People have been telling liberals, since I guess they're the only ones who think like this, that nothing is going to happen since the jump.

 

[Ac30]

It isn't a bad move, this is not a normal case. The court of public opinion is the only one that matters.

The first question is can Mueller indict the president? It's never actually been tested. There are opinions that he can from the Nixon and Clinton investigations.

The next question is will Mueller indict him. Ken Starr opted to let impeachment deal with Clinton instead of an indictment. An all out PR attack is going to be necessary for Trump on this one.

And the final stop is Impeachment, again if Trump can control the message here he wins.

In my opinion it's favourable for the opposition if they just let him become a lame duck and finish his term, regardless of the outcome of this investigation. Like you said, impeachment proceedings could backfire hard, like it did for the Republicans with Clinton. Better to render him useless and then vote him out.

 

[Eusis]

Cobb is doing the right thing guys. He should be cooperating which any competent attorney would do.

I think it's the implication that he genuinely believes Trump did no wrong. Though I imagine it's possible that's the official story and really he wants to just end this one way or another, knowing he is only prolonging the pain otherwise.

 

[Gutek]

It isn't a bad move, this is not a normal case. The court of public opinion is the only one that matters.

The first question is can Mueller indict the president? It's never actually been tested. There are opinions that he can from the Nixon and Clinton investigations.

The next question is will Mueller indict him. Ken Starr opted to let impeachment deal with Clinton instead of an indictment. An all out PR attack is going to be necessary for Trump on this one.

And the final stop is Impeachment, again if Trump can control the message here he wins.

The very first question is “did Trump collude with the Russians?” We still have no evidence of that.

We do, though, have evidence of Trump obstructing justice.

 

[Kyzer]

Trump is probably lying to his lawyer about his innocence so he thinks it's better to just get the investigation over with

 

[Ac30]

We do, though, have evidence of Trump obstructing justice.

Fuck me, if he somehow weasels out of that... basically sets a precedent for allowing presidents to dismiss FBI heads investigating matters concerning the president/his buddies.

 

[Bakercat]

Muller can't gather enough evidence any sooner could he? Please save us, you're our only hope.

 

[robochimp]

The very first question is “did Trump collude with the Russians?” We still have no evidence of that.

We do, though, have evidence of Trump obstructing justice.

Is that something Mueller would indict the President for? I doubt it.

 

[ericexpo]

It's like his lawyers have won every case be bribing or intimidating the other person.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

Even if you're innocent, is it a good idea to help the team that tries everything in their power to get you in jail? I wonder if even Trump, with his hypocritical sense of loyalty, feels that this is really stupid.

They're not doing everything in their power to put him in jail. They're investigating his crimes.

 

[RustyNails]

Is that something Mueller would indict the President for? I doubt it.

Yeah there's no federal statute against "collusion". But we all know they colluded. Access Hollywood tape comes out, and three days later Podesta's emails start leaking after the ratfucker says its Podesta's time in the barrell? Mueller needs to nail him on racketeering, bribes, and other financial crimes, and connect the dots on collusion.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

Possible reasons:

He actually didn't do anything that will get him in trouble
He didn't do anything that will bother his base
He did something bad but just hopes they won't be thorough enough to ask for it
He did something bad and his attorneys intend to commit perjury/obstruct justice and say they are cooperating and turning everything over, but aren't actually going to give everything
He did something bad and is going to actually cooperate in the hopes of plea bargaining to something minor

History shows he tends to work towards the last one. That has been his motto his entire life. Rob somebody, settle out of court and pay back 80%, pay the lawyers 5%, pocket the 15% ...... Brag about how good of a business man you are.

That shit doesn't work with the Feds on a criminal case though.

 

[Shard]

Yeah there's no federal statute against "collusion". But we all know they colluded. Access Hollywood tape comes out, and three days later Podesta's emails start leaking after the ratfucker says its Podesta's time in the barrell? Mueller needs to nail him on racketeering, bribes, and other financial crimes, and connect the dots on collusion.

The legal term for the crime would be conspiracy.

 

[Starfish Hero]

Truth be told, I dont expect them to actually cooperate, I expect them to mislead and falsify, and make it look like they're cooperating.

Pretty much where I stand. I figure Trump's team thinks if they bluff hard enough Mueller won't dig further than what they willingly give up.

They think they're playing 4D chess but in reality they're playing regular chess and don't know what the horsey does.