For a man unconcerned about Russia collusion, Trump seems very concerned. This reminds me of Nixon, who just COULD NOT keep Watergate off his mind and meddled in it to the point that he became part of it.
The special counsel in the Russia investigation has learned of two conversations in recent months in which President Trump asked key witnesses about matters they discussed with investigators, according to three people familiar with the encounters.
In one episode, the president told an aide that the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, should issue a statement denying a New York Times article in January. The article said Mr. McGahn told investigators that the president once asked him to fire the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Mr. McGahn never released a statement and later had to remind the president that he had indeed asked Mr. McGahn to see that Mr. Mueller was dismissed, the people said.
In the other episode, Mr. Trump asked his former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, how his interview had gone with the special counsel’s investigators and whether they had been “nice,” according to two people familiar with the discussion.
There is nothing wrong with Trump talking to witnesses, although it is VERY inadvisable, and I am sure Trump’s lawyers have advised him not to do this. Why? Because depending on what is said, it could be viewed as witness tampering. The whole incident with McGhan, for example, Trump was attempting to change the narrative and make McGahn do things that were contrary to his memory.
Is this evidence that Trump has serious memory issues (or an extraordinary capacity for self-delusion), or was he telling McGahn how to recall events, in essence instructing him as to the official storyline?
These interactions (depending on how you interpret the McGahn conversation) may not be illegal, but they raise serious questions. And does anyone really think these are the only two people who Trump has asked about their testimony? There’s a pattern here of Trump constantly meddling with this investigation, and he keeps showing by his actions how worried he is about it. At the very least, Trump is providing Mueller with a mound of evidence of what prosecutors call consciousness of guilt. In any case, the conversations surely underscore that Trump is indifferent to his lawyers’ advice, and therefore would be a loose cannon if ever questioned by Mueller.
Trump is also unhappy about another scandal, and how it was handled internally:
President Donald Trump is upset with White House press secretary Sarah Sanders over her responses Wednesday regarding his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, a source close to the White House tells CNN.
Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, filed suit against Trump this week alleging he hadn’t signed a nondisclosure agreement that would have prevented her from discussing their alleged sexual affair.
On Wednesday, Sanders told reporters that the arbitration was won “in the President’s favor.” The statement is an admission that the nondisclosure agreement exists, and that it directly involves the President. It is the first time the White House has admitted the President was involved in any way with Daniels.
“POTUS is very unhappy,” the source said. “Sarah gave the Stormy Daniels storyline steroids yesterday.”
Yes, we’re ALL a bit weary from the constant scandals, but we didn’t create them.