When will the media accept that Trump is not a criminal target?

[TalkRadio]

In terminal medical cases, doctors often deal with patients who move through “stages” that begin with denial. These so-called Kübler-Ross stages can be a long road toward acceptance. A weird form of Kübler-Ross seems to have taken hold of the media. Rather than refusing to accept indicators of impending death, many journalists and analysts seem incapable of accepting signs that the Trump presidency could survive.

That painful process was more evident Tuesday night when the Washington Post reported that special counsel Robert Mueller told the White House last month that Trump was not considered a “target” but only a “subject” of the investigation. After a year of being assured that “bombshell” developments and “smoking gun” evidence was sealing the criminal case against Trump, the dissonance was too great for many who refuse to accept the obvious meaning of this disclosure.

The U.S. Attorney’s manual defines a “subject” as a “person whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jury's investigation.” It is a designation that can change but it is also a meaningful description of the current status of an individual. Mueller at this time apparently does not believe Trump meets the definition of a target or a “person as to whom the prosecutor or the grand jury has substantial evidence linking him or her to the commission of a crime and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is a putative defendant.” That would have been less notable when Mueller was appointed in 2017 than it is now, after more than a year, dozens of criminal counts, hundreds of thousands of documents, and a bevy of cooperating witnesses.

This continued refusal to acknowledge positive developments for Trump is a disturbing pathology. Just because Trump is a subject of investigation does not mean he cannot become a target. Moreover, Mueller as expected has indicated he will prepare a report on his investigation. This still is a positive development for Trump. It shows that Trump’s status has not materially changed but neither has the status of much of the coverage. Many media commentators clearly are stuck on denial and are a long way from acceptance in dealing with the legal status of Donald Trump.

http://thehill.com/opinion/judiciar...ia-accept-that-trump-is-not-a-criminal-target

 

[BBX4]

Never

MoveOn.org

 

[PenLightStories]

The fact is that just because he isn't explicitly named a target doesn't mean there is no reason to suspect Donald Trump did something wrong.

This investigation sounds very similar to an organized crime investigation in which the goal is to get suspects to cooperate in order to get to the truth. This may well be a roll up the charges situation and we really do not know enough, yet, to say what all happpened. There are new charges filed monthly against parties related to the Trump campaign and its associates and it appears we still have only seen the tip of the iceberg.

 

[BBX4]

^^^another lunatic

 

[TalkRadio]

The media's Mueller speculation has reached a new level of lunacy

Did you hear the news? On Wednesday an obscure Dutch lawyer who is "tied" — one of my favorite journalistic weasel words, along with "linked" and "blasted" — to the deputy chairman of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for initially failing to forward all of his emails to Bob Mueller. I have heard of stiffer sentences for jaywalking in Manhattan and failing to register a cocker spaniel, but I'm sure it's a very big deal.

It has to be because the sentencing of Alex van der Zwaan immediately inspired another round of lunatic speculation about the state of the investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. The sentence was announced the day after The Washington Post reported that Trump is currently not a "target" of the investigation.

Cue the takes! "Mueller told Trump he's not a criminal target in the Russia probe. That may not mean what you think," one of the approximately 1,700 persons employed full-time by the Post to produce algorithmically generated electronic high-pitched noise sounding not unlike the president's last name insisted. "Mueller's assurances that Trump is not a ‘target' don't mean much," Politico yodeled. "The report that Trump is not a target of the Mueller probe is actually terrible news for the president," said Slate, which still maintains its idiotic Trump Impeach-o-Meter, something I wish I had thought of when I was working at a right-wing magazine during Obama's second term. I spent Wednesday morning reading dozens, possibly as many as a hundred, of these pieces without learning anything.

http://theweek.com/articles/765076/medias-mueller-speculation-reached-new-level-lunacy

 

[Hypoxia]

Be suspected of federal crimes. Be the 'subject' of a federal criminal investigation. Ah, you're only a 'subject', not a 'target'. You'll feel great relief. Whew.

A cop in my Reserves unit said that 'asshole' was an official police term for 'suspect'. I imagine 'subject' is nearby.

 

[Libsam]

I've come to realize that their overcritical approach to Trump is making him the most transparent president ever. I hope they never stop.

You'll know we've got a demagogue for president when they fawn over every fart he makes.

 

[Liar]

Got it explained to me like this:

Target = We're pretty sure you're one of the ones whodunnit.
Subject = We suspect you may be one of the ones whodunnit but we ain't sure.

Sounds reasonable that The Donald is a subject under that definiton. Might yet turn out that he was just bumbling along as the oblivious manchild he is, while the people around him were doing the active conspiring.

 

[Hypoxia]

Got it explained to me like this:

Target = We're pretty sure you're one of the ones whodunnit.
Subject = We suspect you may be one of the ones whodunnit but we ain't sure.

Sounds reasonable that The Donald is a subject under that definiton. Might yet turn out that he was just bumbling along as the oblivious manchild he is, while the people around him were doing the active conspiring.

Could also be he's quite aware of the Moscow Mafiya money he's laundered, the billions he owes Putin's pals, his quid pro quo for that money, etc. We'll see.

 

[Liar]

Could also be he's quite aware of the Moscow Mafiya money he's laundered, the billions he owes Putin's pals, his quid pro quo for that money, etc. We'll see.

I said might. Didn't say how likely.

 

[someoneyouknow]

Something else to consider. I read recently about the U.S. Code Mueller is operating under. Part of that rule says when he has ended his investigation he has to turn over a confidential report to his supervisor (Rosenstein in this case) as well as another report to the Republican and Democrat heads of the House.

In his findings, the special counsel can make recommendations on his findings, up to and including impeachment.

Thus, saying the con artist is not currently the subject of a criminal investigation does not mean he isn't up for impeachment. It might mean Mueller could recommend other charges which aren't criminal in nature.

 

[Hypoxia]

In his findings, the special counsel can make recommendations on his findings, up to and including impeachment.

I seriously doubt Mueller would mention the word 'impeach'. That's totally a Congressional prerogative, a political action, not a criminal case. Mueller's brief is to find criminal acts, not to make political judgments.

 

[someoneyouknow]

I seriously doubt Mueller would mention the word 'impeach'. That's totally a Congressional prerogative, a political action, not a criminal case. Mueller's brief is to find criminal acts, not to make political judgments.

If Trump is not a criminal target, that does not necessarily mean that Mueller has insufficient evidence to charge Trump; rather, it may indicate that Mueller reads the Constitution to mean that impeachment rather than indictment is the appropriate remedy for any serious presidential malfeasance. He could be preparing a report that recommends impeachment even while he refrains from indictment -- and, thus, Trump could be under investigation while not a criminal target.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/04/opinions/robert-muellers-endgame-osler/index.html

 

[bronzeage]

It's a trap. If Trump thinks Mueller is not after him, he'll testify under oath and go down in flames.

Everyone knows, the way to manipulate Trump is to tell him what he wants to hear. If hearing that he's not under "criminal" investigation will get him in the witness stand, why not?

It's not like he's going to wake up and say, "Wait a minute, if it's not a criminal investigation, why are people going to jail?"

 

[Hypoxia]

Mueller will drop midterm Russia bombshells on GOP Congress -- TheHill.Com

Some of Trump’s defenders argue that the media, or political opponents of Trump, should simply accept that Mueller has not designated Trump as a target of the investigation, as though this is definitive or exculpatory. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Assuming The Washington Post story is accurate and Trump is currently — emphasis on "currently" — a subject of the investigation but not a target, one thing is absolutely certain: Trump is, today, under active investigation by Mueller. Period.

The Mueller investigation has drawn no conclusion about whether or not Trump has committed any wrongdoing. End of story. The media should be applauded, not attacked, for covering this story aggressively, until the special counsel renders a final judgment.

Taking all of these events together, the natural course of Mueller’s investigation will be to drop bombshell matters of profound importance about the Russia scandal on the Republican Congress from now through the midterm elections in November.

Mueller’s conclusions about obstruction of justice, which probably will explode into public view by June or July, will rock Congress, especially Republicans running in 2018.

If Mueller does charge that the president committed obstruction of justice, the minute that report becomes public (which it certainly will one way or the other) there will be a huge public firestorm. The issue of impeachment will take center stage.

If he does not directly charge obstruction of justice, the report will almost certainly include negative facts and findings that will put Republicans on the spot while other aspects of the Mueller investigation continue, and more indictments and plea bargains are announced, from now through Election Day.

What, me worry? --DJT

 

[phrodeau]

When will Trump stop acting guilty?

 

[Hypoxia]

When will Trump stop acting guilty?

He's a showman. All the world's his stage. He acts as he wishes. Observers must decipher what's an act and what's real, if anything. Does he act guilty because 1) he's guilty, 2) he's acting, 3) he's demented, or 4) red squirrels?

 

[Hypoxia]

While we're at it...

Tromp will never, ever be impeached and removed from office

For Trump to be impeached and removed from office, 67 Senators would have to vote in favor of impeachment; assuming no Democrats voted against impeachment, the only way Trump could be impeached is if every single 2018 Senate election was won by a Democrat, and nine Republican Senators voted in favor of impeachment.

That is not going to happen.

Yeah, some Dums will introduce articles of impeachment, but they'll go nowhere. So quit fantasizing. Neuter the bug instead. An enemy Congress blocking his every absurd move is not unlikely -- if they have the guts. What, Congresscritters with guts? Get those fucking reindeer off my roof!

 

[eyerphobia]

Only the House of Representatives can bring articles of impeachment and then either vote by two-thirds majority to impeach on any of those articles, or not. When the House does vote 2/3rds on any article, the person is considered impeached. As far as impeachment goes, the House is the prosecutor and grand jury, which indicts (impeaches).

The Senate does not impeach because it has no constitutional authority to do so. It's only constitutional duty concerning one whom the House has already impeached is as trial and jury, trying the already impeached person on only the article s/he was impeached/indicted by 2/3rds of the House for.

If 2/3rds of the Senate jury doesn't vote guilty to convict that person of the article(s) the House impeached them for, that person is considered acquitted of what they were impeached for. If 2/3rds of the Senates votes guilty, that person is automatically and immediately removed from Office - per the Constitution.

There is no appeal process.

No American President has ever been convicted by the Senate and removed from Office.

Two Presidents have been impeached by the House: Andrew Johnson in 1868, whom the Senate voted 35-19 to convict (just 1 vote shy of 2/3rds on all three articles), and Bill Clinton in 1998 was impeached by the House on articles of obstruction of justice and perjury. Interestingly, the House impeachment occurred at the end of the year before that session of Congress ended, while the Senate tried Clinton at the very beginning of a new congressional session. 55 Republican Senators sat among Clinton's jury; 50 Senators voted to remove him from Office on the obstruction of justice charge, and by 45 voted to remove him on the perjury charge. Since removal from Office requires 67 Senators to vote to do so, Clinton was acquitted of both charges.

Not a single Democrat Senator voted to remove their Democrat President from Office, despite the fact that he was unarguably, stone cold guilty of both articles he was impeached for.

A third American President was almost impeached by the House, but Richard Nixon was persuaded to resign the Presidency before that certainty could actually happen.

 

[WoundedKnee]

Be suspected of federal crimes. Be the 'subject' of a federal criminal investigation. Ah, you're only a 'subject', not a 'target'. You'll feel great relief. Whew.

A cop in my Reserves unit said that 'asshole' was an official police term for 'suspect'. I imagine 'subject' is nearby.

^^^^^^

This

As long as there is a market dedicated to and consumed by the 'special knowledge' that President Trump is a criminal of some sort, then a dedicated subset of the media will give them the news they prefer to consume in order to sell advertisement and hopefully impact then next election favorably for the Democrat Party and the 'unaffiliated' Progressives. Then they're going to have his nuts in a vice. They just 'know' it.

 

[Amoebah]

More than anything else, i am just tired of the word Trump.

Log on to this alleged sex bulliten board and all you see is the word Trump.

Try to watch what they used to call the “news” and all you see and hear is Trump.

Go to Netflix and the first thing on my suggested list is a 4 part doc on Trump.

It’s like Hitler; 70 years plus and you still can’t get through a day without seeing or hearing the word Hitler.

 

[WoundedKnee]

Alan to Charlie [about History channel]: It's always Hitler week.

 

[Amoebah]

Alan to Charlie [about History channel]: It's always Hitler week.

I don’t think a comedian can get through a performance without saying the word hitler at least once.

 

[WoundedKnee]

It seems that way here for some of the Progressives who take their politics very seriously.

 

[WoundedKnee]

Nothing at all except that among a certain segment of our supposedly educated upper-middle-class there is apparently an endless appetite for therapy-tainment. The Mueller investigation has seemingly nothing to do with collusion between Trump and Moscow, of which there is still as much evidence as there was in January 2017, i.e., none. It’s Bircherism for people who know what “green juice” is, a way to explain how the wealthiest political campaign in history lost to a quasi-literate lowbrow TV star and cope with this ongoing reality. This is why some recent takes don’t even make a pretense of mentioning Russia. Long ago the whole thing morphed from being an investigation of treasonous election meddling to one of supposed obstruction of an investigation into the aforementioned non-event. People are still clicking.

Matthew Walther*

http://theweek.com/articles/765076/medias-mueller-speculation-reached-new-level-lunacy



* Don't get triggered over Walther being the name of a gun.