July 16, 2018

Countdown on the Rupert Murdoch Moment

If, like me, you couldn't see but only hear Trump's answer on why he doesn't support his own intelligence communities assessment on Russian interference, you heard not only a person disassembling in real time with incoherent babbling you could hear his voice tighten and grow dry and as he barked out phrases that he had been practicing.

It is the defining moment of the Trump Presidency.

Trump continues as President for only one reason: Fox News still supports him.

Rupert Murdoch calls the shots at Fox, at least the big ones. Someone once asked Murdoch why he had only conservatives on his network and he answered "Well what about Greta, she is a liberal Democrat" which left me wondering if he really knows the details of what goes on there.

Murdoch will not be impressed with this latest debacle. There will come a tipping point for people like Murdoch where there simply is no more upside to Donald Trump and the inevitable fall will only hurt them. Pence will be seen as a safe life preserver. If Murdoch turns then the cacophony from the media will be a drum beat of disgrace and a call for resignation, it really is down to one person, Rupert Murdoch.

Forget Ari Fletcher, Joe Walsh or Lindsey Graham, the really interesting response will be from Pence. If he has moved off of Team Trump it will be largely just silence.

What will be the tipping point be? Could be Mueller's next round of indictments.