US Politics, June 2018: This is a total goat rodeo.

As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2018

hmmm

I don't think Cohen and Giuliani count as either numerous or legal scholars, but okay dude.

come for Melania gossip, stay for the Tiffany shade. from nymag:

This weekend she skipped a family trip to Camp David (which even Tiffany attended).

Wondering at what point even the hardcore 'who cares about Melania'-ers will begin to admit that this is strange.

It's strange but the simplest reason for it is probably the most likely - she doesn't want anything to do with being flotus when the potus defends his porn fling.

isn't the simplest explanation still being under the knife?

I mean, yeah, it's probably nothing more complicated than a separation. I just wonder how far down the 'everything is fine and I am fine and I love being flotus' robo-tweet rabbit hole it's going to get before the truth finally comes out.

i don't see what's strange about the first lady saying, in essence, "fuck this i quit".

I don't see what's strange about us saying, "Who gives a shit?"

^^^

personally i both give a shit in the sense that bad things (in this case, one assumes, some kind of marital rift) happening to the trumps is endlessly rewarding, but also do not give a shit in the sense that it will doubtless do no damage to trump's standing in the eyes of his supporters and does nothing to further any effort at advancing effective opposition to his administration

well, amusing rather than rewarding, i should say

I don't see what's strange about us saying, "Who gives a shit?"

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

true, we need to get this thread back to important and productive discussio....

hahahahahaha no i can't do it

I give a shit to the extent that Melania goes directly to Mueller and says 'let me tell u everything I know about the scrotal sac I am married to'.

never forget

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DezHKYvUcAUdoS8.jpg:large

Does this tweet seems suspicious to anyone else? pic.twitter.com/aviQcvMuFt

— popular comedy account “the pixelated boat” (@pixelatedboat) June 4, 2018

I'll give you suspicious.

BREAKING: EPA aide tells House investigators she did personal tasks for Pruitt, was asked to help get used Trump hotel mattress.

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) June 4, 2018

um

i uh waht

I take this to read that it's a mattress Pruitt used IN a Trump hotel -- which is weird enough and begs questions -- but if it's Trump's mattress from a hotel, then even more uh.

I dunno, collecting any detritus which poses a grave public health hazard because it's been in direct physical contact with the body of Donald Trump seems well within the purview of the EPA.

doing things which fall within the purview of the epa seems distinctly out of character for scott pruitt tbf tho

Wondering at what point even the hardcore 'who cares about Melania'-ers will begin to admit that this is strange.

this is another thing I hate about this presidency, they're so shady and perpetually dishonest that it's turning everyone into truthers

A CNBC reporter mentioned seeing her last week around the West Wing or the like, so I've been skeptical if amused. Supposedly she's turning up at an event in the WH today.

could have been a ghost tbf

As for the mattress

https://www.apnews.com/a21259d0e3a4431791ee32813f838a59/Aide:-EPA's-Pruitt-sought-used-Trump-hotel-mattress

In a letter to committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, they say Hupp carried out personal errands for Pruitt. They include helping him find a place to live in Washington, D.C., and book a Rose Bowl trip. There also were discussions to secure a used mattress from the Trump hotel.

A CNBC reporter mentioned seeing her last week around the West Wing or the like, so I've been skeptical if amused. Supposedly she's turning up at an event in the WH today.

Said event is closed to the press, of course. I'll wait for a proof-of-life photo holding up USA Today.

my bet is at this point they are just letting the speculation continue until she shows up like nothing happened. Queue SHS being her horrible self and chastising the lame stream media for freaking out so much about it.

"Her nose has ALWAYS looked like that."

she's getting work done to look even more like him

not gonna lie that would be great

As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself

As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, Congress has the absolute right to define what is and isn't impeachable and in my view, any president who PARDONED themselves has committed an impeachable abuse of power.

Lucky for Trump, you aren't among the many Congresspeople who will look in the complete opposite direction when/if he decides to do so (although I look forward to several of them issuing very stern and completely inefficacious Maverick-esque statements condemning such an action).

xxp If Melania and Donald decided to pursue a whole Genesis P. Orridge/Lady Jaye thing I would totally be there for it.

too bad half of the people in Congress are sycophants for this idiot

and in my view, any president who PARDONED themselves has committed an impeachable abuse of power

But Aimless, what if the investigation was a total partisan WITCH HUNT led by totally Flawed, Compromised Democrats, and the president did nothing wrong, and the phony "Crimes" were just a distraction from doing the people's true business, which is MAGAing?

Huh? What then?

I mean, in such a circumstance the President has not only the right but the Duty to make the FAKE INVESTIGATION go away, so that he can get back to serving the pee, um, people.

brb, changing the DUMPLINGS! autoreplace to PARDON MYSELFs.

i am exasperated and ready to separate from civilization for a week. here are three things that nate silver said this morning:

1) In general, election-related punditry (i) is a few weeks behind the actual data, but once it catches up to the shift in the polls it both (ii) exaggerates swings and (iii) overestimates precision (underestimates uncertainty).Nate Silver added,

2) So instead of:

"Over several months, the House has gone from modestly favoring Democrats to more like a toss-up; it's a meaningful-ish change but a wide range of outcomes remain plausible"

We get:

"OMG a BLUE WAVE was ALL BUT ASSURED and now SUDDENLY Democrats are BLOWING IT!"

3) ou can also find examples of people erring in the other direction and denying that there's been *any* good news for the GOP.

Need to hold these 3 ideas in your head at once:

1. It's gotten a bit better for the GOP
2. It's still pretty good for Dems
3. Uncertainty is very high

don't know why i didn't just embed those tweets

uncertainty (and stakes) is high

this will dent GOP prospects, no matter what the outcome

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/04/immigration-dreamers-house-republicans-617945

they finally found someone who looks enough like Melania

https://www.politico.eu/article/melania-trump-conspiracy-to-return-to-public-eye-monday/

I don't see the resemblance myself.

https://am12.akamaized.net/med/cnt/uploads/2018/05/Screen-Shot-2018-05-11-at-10.31.04-PM-1200x785.jpg

I can't see how any republican would want Trump to stay where he is instead of mild mannered Pence - unless they enjoy how he attracts all attention to smoke screen their evildoing

There is also likely an extent to which the GOP recognizes that formally recognizing Trump's illegitimacy calls into question their own complicity/legitimacy/judgment. If your brain only recognizes the short-term consequences of your decisions, I guess doubling down on a dumb play makes sense.

It's not that they all like him, but the Republicans who dislike Trump are afraid of facing the anger of Trump voters, if they allow him to be removed from office. Besides, working with people you loathe is an integral part of politics.

Yeah I agree with Aimless re:

I can't see how any republican would want Trump to stay where he is instead of mild mannered Pence

They don't love Trump as much as they fear the thousands of froth-beflecked redhatters in their districts, who will call for their heads if they fail to bow down to the EmperOrange.

conspiracy nerds a-frothin'

There was an American witness.

Melania. https://t.co/wQOrGHGjL3

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) June 4, 2018

It's no surprise yet totally surreal to see liberals attacking Trump on North Korea **from the right**. The significance of the summit is not that it might restrain Kim Jong Un, but that it might restrain Trump from starting a catastrophic war.

— Jon Schwarz (@schwarz) June 4, 2018