Discussion: Trump Abruptly Changes His Tune: 'There Should Be No Mueller Report'

[corncaucus2008]

What could cause this sudden change?

Maybe indigestion? After Lindsay and his dickwad comrades interrupted dear leaders Big Macs trying to help him save face, he just hasn’t been the same incoherent, flailing fool we are used to.

[pluckyinky]

Exactly. It’s coming out one way or another, even if heavily reacted.

Yep. Refusing to release it just gives Democrats a whole boneyard to pick. And it’s a decidedly easy issue to campaign on. “Where’s the report” is simple, doesn’t require much explanation, and any remotely reasonable person would conclude that he’s hiding it because he’s guilty. There’s simply no argument for keeping it under wraps that isn’t laughable.

[haddockbranzini]

12 senate republicans voting against his optional emergency must have scared him a wee bit…

[jacked_donkey]

When sheep can’t sleep, they dream of Trump tweeting.

[erik_t]

And it’s a decidedly easy issue to campaign on. “Where’s the report” is simple, doesn’t require much explanation, and any remotely reasonable person would conclude that he’s hiding it because he’s guilty.

Frustrating counter-point: so was “Where are the tax returns?”

[justruss]

Trump should realize that after all this time and drama, his audience pro or con will be less than happy if it is not released. It would be like the final season of Games of Thrones suddenly being cancelled by HBO.

[coimmigrant]

there’s just no good argument as to why the report shouldn’t be released.

There is one good reason. The report may show that not only Trump but also McConnell, Graham, Rubio and a few other GOP senators were also beneficiaries of the Russian interference and campaign contributions. They want to get reelected and stay out of jail. Killing the report is in their best interests, and doing what is in your own best interests is the first principle in GOP politics.

Of course, that all depends on what the meaning of “good” is.

[pluckyinky]

Frustrating counter-point: so was “Where are the tax returns?”

Not at all really. There are many reasons why someone wouldn’t want their taxes returns exposed to the whole world. I don’t think too many people would want that themselves. Also, I don’t think it was fully understood what his tax returns could be expected to reveal. Tax returns are also personal. That’s just not the case here. This is a completely different realm.

[katscherger]

Absolutely. Not releasing just raises the obvious question of what is being kept hidden from the American public and the electorate.

[pluckyinky]

There is one good reason.

I can think of dozens of good reasons why the GOP doesn’t want it released, but none of them are good arguments to make to the public.

[paulgottlieb]

His position changed because The House just voted that the Mueller Report be made public. Trump had been planning to suppress it or offer only a heavily redacted version.

[dr_coyote]

It will be buried.

And then it will be leaked.

t has kept obstruction-minded folks focused on whether they can keep such a report from being released.

And of course the comprehensivity of virtually all the filing statements has made it impossible to bury the implications: there are too many increments to suppress all of them. Expect this to continue.

far as I know there’s nothing preventing the House Oversight Committee, or whoever, from just calling him to testify about what he’s discovered.

And that’s precisely why his handlers have prevented Trump from firing Mueller yet–because they know he’ll be in front of Schiff, Nadler, Walker, and Cummings committees within a week.

I’d venture to say it is because the State of New York and the NY State insurance fraud squad have just subpoenaed the hell out of Trump Org and Deutsche Bank

I’d say that’s a good call.

“Where’s the report” is simple,

It’s even simpler than “but her emails!”

The report may show that not only Trump but also McConnell, Graham, Rubio and a few other GOP senators were also beneficiaries of the Russian interference and campaign contributions.

I wish this were true–and I absolutely agree with you that they’re guilty of this–but I get the sense that Mueller perceives his remit to be narrower. Counter-argument: “follow the Russian money” might be enough for him to proceed with this lines of investigation.

[sniffit]

Hehe…he’s starting to shit his pants…

[reggid]

I always forget — is Eric the cross-eyed lump who looks like an extra from Deliverance, or the slimy, sleazy one who ditched the wife and kids and likes torturing animals?

[pete_bilderback]

Translation: “Mueller’s report will contain massive and damning of evidence that directly implicate me and members of my family in serious crimes, including a conspiracy with Russia to effect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, and I don’t want anybody to see it.”

[clunkertruck]

[eggrollian]

The Swedish term is “fart with a tail.”

[jamesgoodman]

This is not a change of tune. It is just Trump’s inability to express what he is thinking, to say nothing of his inabilty to think clearly. He is trying to construct a syllogism, which might go something like this:

The special counsel should not have been appointed in the first place.
The special counsel is producing a report.
There should be no Mueller report.

It is a spur of the moment thought. He probably thinks of it as clever. But it is not necessarily a change in tune.

[cd]

“It is unclear why Trump changed his position on the report.”

Matt Whitaker much??? Nadler seems to suggest that in more truthful testimony to Congress than his previous effort he revealed discussions he held with tRUmp re: status of the report

[anon84323658]

“So, if there was [knowingly & acknowledged] to be “zero” crime when the Special Counsel was appointed…”

WHAT does that mean?? Can his parents be sued-from-the-grave for getting him in to Wharton?