TPM - Marshall - "Rudy's Big Admission?"

[NRaleighLiberal]

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/rudys-big-admission

Rudy Giuliani made two TV appearances this morning, one on Fox and one on CNN. Both are pretty convoluted and a bit hard to follow. So they’ve led to various interpretations. But there’s what I believe is one pretty big admission that is at least very new to me and I think a pretty big problem for Trump and Giuliani.

As I’ve mentioned a few times before, one of the oddities of Giuliani’s rolling defense of Trump in response to Cohen’s accusations is this: Giuliani says that the meeting where Trump allegedly learned about the Russia meeting never happened and he (Giuliani) has talked to the participants and they agree it never happened and Trump didn’t attend the meeting or know about the Russian offer. Now, there’s sort of a problem here. Cohen never said just what meeting he was referring to. And how can you be a witness to a meeting that never happened about what was said in that meeting?

This makes no sense. But from the start, I’ve had the sense that Giuliani does know specifically what Cohen is talking about but is denying the specifics.

Now let’s get to what Giuliani said this morning. In a back and forth with CNN’s Alisyn Carmerota, he appears to say that two days before the meeting with the Russian lawyer there was a planning meeting to prepare for that meeting. This prep meeting would have been on June 7th, 2016. Giuliani says that meeting included Don Jr., Jared Kushner, Manafort, Rick Gates and others.

This is going to be a pretty problematic admission for Rudes and Trump. I'll explain in a moment. pic.twitter.com/fQkeMjdXVa

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 30, 2018

Now, I’ve had some off the grid moments in the last ten days. But I don’t think I’d ever heard of this planning meeting. If nothing else, it suggests that the Trump team took the planned encounter with the Russian government emissary much more seriously than they’ve suggested to date. And then there’s Rick Gates, Manafort’s deputy. As we know, Gates is now a cooperating witness. Big problem for the Trump Team, if he was at such a planning meeting.


snip - read on at the link

[oberliner]

1. I like that phrase "rolling defense"

Perfect.

[Adrahil]

6. It's aimed directly at the rubes.

Trump might finally lose some of them if just straight up admits all the lies and obfuscation about this meeting all at once.

But by admitting the truth a little at a time, he lets the rubes get used to the idea little by little. And he throws in some red meat to keep their hate up so that they are prepared for the next admission. I mean, some of the MAGAts are now now openly saying that it would perfectly FINE with them if Trump conspired with the Russians to subvert our elections, as long as they own the libs!

I'll give them this.... they know how to play the 40% of this country that are completely gullible idiots.

[Wounded Bear]

10. Yep, it's classic gaslighting...

[lagomorph777]

13. More like a rolling retreat.

[tonyt53]

2. I was watching CNN when he said that. Had to back it up three times just to make sure.

[manor321]

3. Rudy walked it back on FOX!

Check Josh's Twitter feed.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

4. Wow, off the grid for 10 days. What a splendid idea! Read excerpts from

..."Rudes" (apt name!) media blitz this am. Cannot watch, listen to odious traitor in WH, nor his sycophants unless someone like Michael Avanatti (Attorney for Stormy Daniels) is there to call the nuts out--hold their feet to the fire.

It's amazing what a little respite can do for the alma, soul--Marshall's rested eyes and ears caught gulliani's "pre-meeting" slip up (slip up? Getting ahead of cohen's recordings, manafort trial? )

Anyway...just another day of republican chicanery!
Perhaps someone on Muellar's team caught that as well..if true, that'll be the final tornillo, nail on coffin, que no? Right?

[DeminPennswoods]

7. Not a vacation

Marshall said in an earlier post, absence was family related.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

11. Thanks! Correction: Wow, splendid idea for vacation or family related time--go off grid'

[Hamlette]

5. Maybe Rudy is a secret patriot. Planting himself in the Trump camp so he can spill the beans

and save the country!

stranger things have happened with this crew

[DeminPennswoods]

8. Doubt it,. but maybe once in awhile

his old prosecutorial DNA kicks in.

[2naSalit]

9. Ruh roh!

[calimary]

12. No kidding!

This is gaining momentum. The more you learn, the more things start to connect. Some very dark and serious things.

[2naSalit]

14. Indeed.

Did you see that video I posted yesterday about How the Sec of Treasury (?) a crook, is heavily involved in Russian businesses and then at the end of this video, last five minutes, is info about how major early donors to FB and Twittosphere are directly linked to pootieboy. And then you look at how those two entities have shaped our current problem...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017503785