Michael Cohen is out with a new allegation: Trump knew ahead of time about the June 9, 2016 meeting in Trump Tower where Russian operatives allegedly offered the Trump campaign (and Donald Trump Jr.) dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Remember that Steve Bannon also previously speculated that Trump “must have known about the meeting.”
Also noteworthy: when Don Jr. was questioned by Congress on whether he told his father about the meeting, he said he couldn’t answer because there was an attorney in the room for those discussions, which sure sounds like Michael Cohen.
Trump, of course, is attempting to deflect and deny, but if Cohen is telling the truth, then that means:
- Trump attorney Jay Sekulow lied in July 2017: “The president wasn’t aware of the meeting, did not participate in the meeting, did not attend the meeting.”
- On July 27, 2016, Trump already knew Russia wanted to help his campaign when, in response to allegations that Russia was trying to help him win the election, he responded: “I mean I have nothing to do with Russia. I don’t have any jobs in Russia. I’m all over the world, but we’re not involved in Russia,” then called on Russia to hack into his opponent’s emails.
In fact, it would suggest that virtually everything Trump has ever said about Russian interference was a lie.
Of course, the thought that Trump was aware and complicit isn’t surprising if you’ve been paying any attention. CAP Action’s Moscow Project lays it out plainly:
“It defies logic that [Trump] would have been out of the loop regarding the campaign’s most important decision—whether to collude with Russia—and would be completely unaware of the frequent, sustained communication and coordination between campaign officials and Russia-linked figures. It just doesn’t add up.”
TRUMP BLOWS PAST COURT ORDERED DEADLINE TO REUNITE FAMILIES…AGAIN
The Trump Administration failed yet again to reunite all separated families by yesterday’s court-mandated deadline.
But the Administration is claiming success: this morning, a DHS spokesperson issued a statement that the government “reunified all eligible parents in ICE custody with children.”
It’s an Orwellian definition of success if ever there was one: separate families, lose track of children and parents, and any you can’t manage to reunite you simply deem “ineligible” for reunification.
This means more than 900 parents are still without their children today. The government “specifically claims 711 kids are ineligible or not available to be reunited under its screening standards at this time.” Over 430 of those parents have already been deported.
As Center for American Progress’ Tom Jawetz said yesterday, “We can never fully undo the trauma inflicted upon these children and their families, but as a nation, the least we can do is ensure that they are reunited and given a meaningful opportunity to seek protection here.”
FIGHT BACK AGAINST ATTACKS ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS.
If you care about women’s reproductive rights and health care access, it’s time to speak up!
Check out two key ways you can make a difference this weekend:
- The Trump Administration’s domestic gag rule will rip funding from Title X family planning health care providers, stripping millions of women of access to affordable family planning services and other health care. Submit a comment here to tell the Administration: #NoGagRule.
- Brett Kavanaugh is a threat to women’s rights to safe, legal abortion and a threat to any American with a pre-existing condition. Go to SaveScotusToolkit.org today and tell your Senators: vote NO to #StopKavanaugh.
OFF-KILTER.
CAP’s new Disability Justice Initiative takes over Off-Kilter this week, as we commemorate the 28th anniversary of the ADA, with conversations with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Matt Cortland, Andraea Lavant, and more—plus guest co-host Rebecca Cokley.