Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Part 209, some of Russian meddling, and related, material from F6 big ones. These from Monday,
05/21/18, covering April 11, 2018, and headed, Madeleine Albright: I'm warning the American public
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=140944685

The first

Madeleine Albright: I'm warning the American public

Morning Joe
4/11/18
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright joins Morning Joe to discuss her new book 'Fascism: A Warning
[ https://www.amazon.com/Fascism-Warning-Madeleine-Albright/dp/0062802186 ]' and what aspects of
fascism she sees happening in the U.S. now.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/madeleine-albright-i-m-warning-the-american-public-1208213059739 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I27X9L8rReo [with comments]
[and see also in particular (linked in) https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=140917438 and preceding and following (earlier this string)]

The eighth

Emergency Alert: Russians Warn Nuclear War Is Hours Away!

Published on Apr 11, 2018 by The Alex Jones Channel
[ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg / https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel , https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel/videos ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLPqN3XigEM [with comments]

According to Jones the president is under siege by globalists inside the White House. He says the aim of the Mueller investigation was to prove Trump is a
Russian spy. That is the crux of the fictional Alex Jones investigation lie. Jones then, using that strawman creation of his, Jones says Mueller has come up empty.

In fact Mueller's task, as everyone should know, was never about proving Trump was a Russian spy. Mueller's task was never even ever about proving Trump himself was directly involved with the Russians in their attack on America's electoral system. Rather Mueller's mandate was/is is about whether or not there were

"any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with"

the Trump campaign. And to deal with other violations of the law arising from the probe. See

Rod Rosenstein’s Letter Appointing Mueller Special Counsel
MAY 17, 2017
The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, appointed former F.B.I. Director Robert S. Mueller III as
the special counsel to oversee the investigation into Russian tampering in the 2016 presidential election.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/17/us/politics/document-Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.html

Number twenty

RWW News: Wayne Allyn Root Says That Robert Mueller Has 'Penis Envy'

Published on Apr 12, 2018 by RWW Blog
Right Wing Watch reports on the extreme rhetoric and activities of key right-wing figures and organizations by showing their views in
their own words. In this clip, Wayne Allyn Root declares that special counsel Robert Mueller is "a pervert" who is driven by "penis envy."
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/wayne-allyn-root-robert-mueller-has-penis-envy/ [with additional embedded aufio, "RWW News: Wayne Allyn Root
Says That Robert Mueller Has 'Penis Envy'", https://soundcloud.com/rightwingwatch/rww-news-wayne-allyn-root-says-that-robert-mueller-has-penis-envy ]
[from April 11, 2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmaAy1uacw [with comments]

Pure malicious character assassination by 'in your own dreams' Root. It looks Root is absorbed into at least some serious personal projection in that video.

Twenty-eight, nine and thirty

Mueller sparks FBI raid seeking 'Access Hollywood' tape docs
The Beat with Ari Melber
4/11/18
The FBI is reportedly probing Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s potential actions to suppress the 2016 Trump Access Hollywood tape.
HuffPost's Laura Bassett notes Wikileaks stolen emails of John Podesta were leaked an hour after the tape emerged.
The Daily Beast’s Betsy Woodruff and Vanity Fair’s Abigail Tracy also join Ari Melber.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/mueller-sparks-fbi-raid-seeking-access-hollywood-tape-docs-1208764995857

*

Trump's lawyer for 15 years: Cohen a 'candidate for prosecution'

The Beat with Ari Melber
4/11/18
The lawyer who represented Trump for 15 years before Michael Cohen took over, Jay Goldberg, reveals Mueller’s deputy Andrew Weissmann may be pursuing a bank
fraud case against Cohen and says he doesn’t think Cohen “ever handled litigation for Trump". As pressure mounts on Trump’s personal lawyer, former Federal
Prosecutor Renato Mariotti speculates that Trump’s pardon power may prevent Cohen from flipping. Seth Waxman and Hank Sheinkopf also join Ari Melber.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/trump-s-lawyer-for-15-years-cohen-a-candidate-for-prosecution-1208763459848 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz5vqPkmgGw [with comments]

*

Busted: Trump's attack on Comey backfires with newly revealed notes

The Beat with Ari Melber
4/11/18
Former FBI Director Jim Comey sends a warning to Trump that the American people will hear his story “very soon” as new documents
appear to refute Trump’s claim that Comey was lying about their conversations. Comey’s former classmate, lawyer Colette Holt tells Ari
Melber “its finally time” for Comey to defend himself against “bullies”. Former DOJ Chief Spokesperson Matt Miller also joins Ari Melber.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/busted-trump-s-attack-on-comey-backfires-with-newly-revealed-notes-1208767043640 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nojj0YaIXo8 [with comments]

Thirty-seven

What is Michael Cohen's link to the 'Access Hollywood' tape?

All In with Chris Hayes
4/11/18
New York Times Reporter Michael Schmidt on his story that among the subjects the F.B.I. was pursuing in the raid on Trump's lawyer was the infamous Trump tape.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/what-is-michael-cohen-s-link-to-the-access-hollywood-tape-1208789571631 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju0G-34q5VA [with comments]

Forty

First look at James Comey's new tell-all book
All In with Chris Hayes
4/11/18
Fired FBI Director Comey's much anticipated book describes the various meetings and phone calls he had with Trump,
including numerous times in which Comey says Trump confronted him about the most salacious aspects of the infamous dossier.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/first-look-at-james-comey-s-new-tell-all-book-1209767491591

Forty-two, three and four

Bannon to Trump: DO NOT COOPERATE (also fire Rosenstein): WaPo
The Rachel Maddow Show
4/11/18
Robert Costa, national political reporter for The Washington Post, talks with Rachel Maddow about his new reporting that Steve Bannon
is encouraging Donald Trump to fire Rod Rosenstein, stop cooperating with Robert Mueller, and fire his lawyer Ty Cobb as well.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/bannon-to-trump-do-not-cooperate-also-fire-rosenstein-wapo-1208926787557

*

Exclusive: Preservation notice shows breadth of Mueller probe
The Rachel Maddow Show
4/11/18
Rachel Maddow shares the contents of an exclusively obtained, previously unseen letter to Department of Justice officials
directing them to preserve "Documents and Responsive Materials" related to Donald Trump's firing of James Comey.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/exclusive-preservation-notice-shows-breadth-of-mueller-probe-1208829507774

*

Trump shoots self in foot with Twitter missile taunt at Russia
The Rachel Maddow Show
4/11/18
Courtney Kube, national security and military reporter for NBC News, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump warning Russia
that he's launching missiles at Syria even though the US has not actually decided what kind of action to take Bashar al-Assad.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-shoots-self-in-foot-with-twitter-missile-taunt-at-russia-1208948291558

The forty seventh

How Steve Bannon is signaling to Trump 'you're incredibly guilty'
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
4/11/18
The Washington Post reports that Steve Bannon wants Trump to cripple the Russia probe and fire Rod Rosenstein. David Frum says
that means Bannon knows that Trump is in big legal trouble. Lawrence O'Donnell also discusses with Joy Reid and Jennifer Rubin.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/how-steve-bannon-is-signaling-to-trump-you-re-incredibly-guilty-1208881219566

The forty-ninth

WAPO: Bannon offers Trump a plan to ‘cripple’ Mueller

The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
4/12/18
Robert Costa of The Washington Post joins to discuss his new reporting that Steve Bannon is offering Trump a plan to ‘cripple’ Mueller and his investigation.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired April 11, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/wapo-bannon-offers-trump-a-plan-to-cripple-mueller-1208910403686 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u97RQdtyR20 [with comments]

Fifty-uno and two

Fmr. Clinton lawyer won’t say if he’s been asked to advise Trump
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
4/12/18
Veteran DC attorney Bob Bennett, who represented Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones case, assesses the capabilities
of Trump’s legal team while refusing to say if he’s been approached about representing the president.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired April 11, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/fmr-clinton-lawyer-won-t-say-if-he-s-been-asked-to-advise-trump-1208906819714

*

Trump allies take to FOX News to give him legal advice on Mueller

The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
4/12/18
Late Wednesday, Trump tweeted to his followers that Sean Hannity was going to have a ‘big show.’ This comes as Trump’s legal
& media allies take to the airwaves of his favorite cable news channel to give him advice on the Mueller probe. Our panel reacts.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired April 11, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/trump-allies-take-to-fox-news-to-give-him-legal-advice-on-mueller-1208909379902 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39dEeeNhd1o [with comments]

LOL - the comedy selection for the day

Late Night White House Press Briefing: Will the Russians Meddle in the 2018 Elections?

Published on Apr 12, 2018 by Late Night with Seth Meyers [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVTyTA7-g9nopHeHbeuvpRA / https://www.youtube.com/user/LateNightSeth , https://www.youtube.com/user/LateNightSeth/videos ]
Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds an impromptu press briefing to answer burning questions,
like "What excuse has Melania been using to get out of sleeping with Donald Trump?"
[from the late-night April 11, 2018 show]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylINa_es1Qw [with comments]
Hilarious!

To "stashed April 11, 2018:"

Trump's perceived persecution fuels unrest
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/11/politics/donald-trump-mueller-investigation/index.html

Why a proposed bill to protect Mueller may not end up protecting Mueller
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/04/11/why-a-proposed-bill-to-protect-mueller-may-not-end-up-protecting-mueller/

Bipartisan Senate bill to protect Mueller set to advance
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/11/senate-bill-protect-mueller-514494

Trump would be barred from firing Mueller under bipartisan bill
While the legislation is gaining momentum, Republican leaders in Congress continue to say legislation is not needed.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/bipartisan-group-senators-merge-bills-protect-mueller-n864926

Trump lashes out at Mueller, Rosenstein and 'corrupt Russia investigation' in tweetstorm
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/04/11/trump-lashes-out-at-mueller-rosenstein-and-corrupt-russia-investigation-in-tweetstorm.html

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/984053549742067712

....doing things that nobody thought possible, despite the never ending and corrupt Russia Investigation, which takes tremendous time and focus. No Collusion or Obstruction (other than I fight back), so now they do the Unthinkable, and RAID a lawyers office for information! BAD!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/984020136255541248

Robert Mueller’s Nuclear Option
If Trump fires him, the special counsel should reveal everything he's discovered in the Russia investigation.
https://newrepublic.com/article/147937/robert-muellers-nuclear-option

If Trump Fires Rosenstein, This Man Could End Up With Power Over the Russia Investigation - Brian Benczkowski
He has virtually no criminal law experience but has worked for a bank with ties to Vladimir Putin.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/04/if-trump-fires-rosenstein-this-man-could-end-up-with-power-over-the-russia-investigation/

Trump has lost the ability to distract from Mueller
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/11/politics/donald-trump-robert-mueller-diversions/index.html

Americans Should be Ready to Mobilize If Mueller Is Fired, Says Hawaii Senator [Democratic Senator Brian Schatz], as Trump Fumes Over Investigation
http://www.newsweek.com/mueller-probe-americans-should-be-ready-mobilize-says-hawaii-senator-trump-880512

The White House says Trump can fire Mueller. That should give Republicans heartburn.
by Jennifer Rubin
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/04/11/white-house-sure-trump-can-fire-mueller/

Trump Says He’s ‘Calm And Calculated’ As Reports Detail His Rage
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/trump-calm-calculated-tweet-rage-cohen-raid

more: https://news.google.com/news/story/d2myfbl5V-XriLMhITblimbAjV0vM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en

James Comey is about to ‘shock the president and his team’
‘How strange is it for you to sit here and compare the president to a mob boss?’ - George Stephanopoulos
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/james-comey-is-about-to-shock-the-president-and-his-team-2018-04-11

Comey sat down with Stephanopoulos for 5-hour interview
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/11/james-comey-interview-abc-news-514535

Stephanopoulos: Comey compared Trump to a 'mob boss'
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/382646-stephanopoulos-comey-compares-trump-to-a-mob-boss

Comey likens Trump to 'mob boss' in book tour interview with Stephanopoulos
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/04/11/comey-interview-with-stephanopoulos-reveals-bash-trump-book-tour-plan.html

ABC: Comey compares Trump to mob boss
https://www.axios.com/preview-of-exclusive-abc-interview-with-james-comey-1523413777-c6002b59-9545-4329-9734-92ffcc70cfef.html

more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dHrQd24zS0AFfvMjoV4b8C-nDyqaM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en

Madeleine Albright: ‘Trump Makes Us Look Like a Victim, a Chump’
In the wake of Donald Trump’s election, a troubling word re-emerged in the American political lexicon: fascism. The left says the president mimics strongmen by attacking the media and targeting immigrants. The right claims liberals suppress dissenting views on everything from climate change to gender politics.
But is this really fascism? Few are in a better position to judge than former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Born in Czechoslovakia, she fled fascist regimes twice, first during the Nazi occupation of her home country in 1939 and then after a Communist coup a decade later. In her new book, Fascism: A Warning, Albright says she sees a revival of creeping nationalism and authoritarianism at home and abroad.
Albright does not consider Trump a fascist, but she says his behavior is paving the way for fascism around the globe. In her book, she studies the rise of past autocrats like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini and finds similar patterns in modern leaders like Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The result is an in-depth look at a changing world order and America’s diminishing role in that hierarchy.
I spoke with Albright, currently a professor of diplomacy at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, about Trump, Putin and what she describes as an international fraternity of “bullies.”
In your book, you write that the term fascism has lost its meaning.
People kind of think, OK, well, everything I disagree with is fascist—which is crazy. A fascist is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others and is willing to use violence and whatever other means to achieve the goals. In short, a fascist is a bully with an army.
What are some of the key “warning” signs, as you call them?
First of all, there’s an appeal to extreme nationalism. We’ve seen that in Europe, Turkey and, to some extent, in the United States. There's this “us against them” mentality, the disregard for the rights of others and a display of popular enthusiasm through rallies. Then there’s relentless propaganda, which is really an attempt to shape one's own truth.
Is the United States vulnerable to modern-day fascism?
If you look at this historically, fascism can find a foothold wherever people are unhappy and are looking for answers. We obviously have very strong democratic institutions, but I think that there are real questions in terms of how the government is responding to the needs of the people at this moment. That's why this book is a warning.
How does President Trump fit into this picture?
Let me make this absolutely clear: I'm not calling President Trump a fascist. I am very concerned about his lack of democratic instinct of any kind and his disdain for the press and the judiciary and the electoral process.
Are his actions contributing to the rise of fascism around the globe?
There are fascists in other countries who are taking some of the things that President Trump says in order to justify their own behavior. Instead of the U.S. being the leader in democratic values and the leader of the free world, the bottom line is [there’s] an empty chair there.
Whether you're talking about [Philippine President Rodrigo] Duterte, Orbán or Putin, these people are a bunch of bullies. The president praising some of the aspects of those people, identifying with them, gives them even more strength. When he was in Poland, standing next to [Polish President Andrzej Duda], [his remarks] not only strengthened the anti-democratic things that are going on in Poland, but kind of gave [them] an American blessing, which is outrageous.
Are you worried about war with North Korea?
It concerns me a lot. I'm still the highest-level sitting official to have met with the North Korean leader. It takes a lot of work and preparation, and you need experts to understand what the background of a particular issue has been and what to push for, what to avoid. From what I can tell, that has not taken place.
Is Putin trying to dismantle democracy in the West?
He’s trying. You can’t forget that we’re dealing with a KGB agent. This is what Putin grew up on. He is not stupid. He's smart, and he's playing a weak hand very well.
Are you concerned about more Russian interference in American elections?
I am. We need to have the [congressional] investigations [into Russian meddling] go forward, not kind of say, “It's not happening.” We have an opportunity to stop what is going on. And it isn't just the president. It's on all of us to have people run for office, to voice our displeasure, to really take active measures in terms of pushing back to show what democracy is really about.
What do you make of the antifa movement?
I don't think one should fight fascism with violence. Violence is a tool of the fascist.
What does President Trump’s “America first” agenda mean to you?
It’s an unfortunate term from the ’30s when the United States cared only about itself and was isolationist, and things got worse and worse [globally]. This is a very personal thing for me, as somebody who was born in Czechoslovakia. The British and French made a deal with the Germans and Italians and sold the country I was born in down the river. The United States wasn't there.
[Today], President Trump makes us look like a victim, a chump. We have the most powerful country in the world, and his whole message is about victimization. “Everybody's taking advantage of us.” It’s ridiculous.
What’s the future of the U.S. on the world stage?
It's going to take a while to rebuild trust in America and our alliance structure and how we behave, but we have it in us to do that, and we have done it in the past. We are leaders.
http://www.newsweek.com/2018/04/20/madeleine-albright-fascism-trump-putin-881813.html

Madeleine Albright Says She's Shocked By Trump's "All White Men" Administration
The first woman to serve as secretary of state said not having women in the room in politics is the “waste of a good resource.”
https://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgantopoulos/madeleine-albright-says-shes-shocked-by-trumps-all-white

more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dl55TRQIG6WcvuMX4jNbVg408IZHM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en

Paul Ryan Personifies the Devil's Bargain the GOP Struck With Trump
The outgoing House speaker, more than any other lawmaker, paved the path for congressional Republicans’ subjugation to the president.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/paul-ryan-personifies-the-devils-bargain-the-gop-struck-with-trump/557783/

Raid on Trump’s Lawyer Sought Records on ‘Access Hollywood’ Tape
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/us/politics/michael-cohen-trump-access-hollywood.html

Devin Nunes Is Ready To Impeach Someone, And It’s Not Donald Trump
“We’re not messing around here.”
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, said on Tuesday night that he’s ready to begin impeachment proceedings. Just not against the president.
Nunes told Fox News that he was ready to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in contempt of Congress for failing to provide documents related to the 2016 counterintelligence investigation into Russian interference in the election and possible ties to the Trump campaign.
Nunes even appeared to give a deadline of Wednesday evening, warning it “will get really complicated” after that.
“We’re not going to just hold in contempt,” he told Laura Ingraham. “We will have a plan to hold in contempt and to impeach.”
“To impeach Christopher Wray?” Ingraham asked.
“Absolutely,” Nunes replied.
“Rod Rosenstein?”
“We’re not messing around here.”
Nunes also predicted it wouldn’t reach that point because the documents would be turned over.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/devin-nunes-impeach_us_5acda430e4b06a6aac8cf6ad

Bannon pitches White House on plan to cripple Mueller probe and protect Trump - ludicrous bullshit
Stephen K. Bannon, who was ousted as White House chief strategist last summer but has remained in touch with some members of President Trump’s circle, is pitching a plan to West Wing aides and congressional allies to cripple the federal probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to four people familiar with the discussions.
The first step, these people say, would be for Trump to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who oversees the work of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and in recent days signed off on a search warrant of Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen.
Bannon is also recommending the White House cease its cooperation with Mueller, reversing the policy of Trump’s legal team to provide information to the special counsel’s team and to allow staff members to sit for interviews.
And he is telling associates inside and outside the administration that the president should create a new legal battleground to protect himself from the investigation by asserting executive privilege — and arguing that Mueller’s interviews with White House officials over the past year should now be null and void.
“The president wasn’t fully briefed by his lawyers on the implications” of not invoking executive privilege, Bannon told The Washington Post in an interview Wednesday. “It was a strategic mistake to turn over everything without due process, and executive privilege should be exerted immediately and retroactively.”
There is no indication that Trump, who forced out Bannon and later said his former adviser had “lost his mind” after leaving the West Wing, would be willing to take Bannon’s advice or is aware of the plan. Several Trump aides also remain skeptical of the former strategist’s attempt to insert himself into the president’s decision-making process.
“If you say his name in front of the president, it’s not a pretty sight,” said a senior administration official. “The president really goes off about him.”
Nonetheless, Bannon’s efforts signify the growing pressure from an influential wing of Trump’s political base to thwart Mueller, who, many Trump allies believe, presents an existential legal and political threat to his presidency.
Trump boosters in Congress are preparing to take legislative action against Rosenstein and other Justice officials over the disclosure of documents related to the Russia investigation. That push is seen by Bannon and others in the White House as a cause that could prompt Trump to act and shift much of the Russia investigation to Capitol Hill, where Republicans control both chambers.
Trump remains furious with the Mueller probe, which on Wednesday he blasted on Twitter as “never ending and corrupt.” He has also considered firing Rosenstein, whom he has criticized for approving surveillance applications of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, which extended a warrant that partly relied on information that was funded in a roundabout way by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Bannon and his allies sense that Trump simply needs a nudge to fire Rosenstein, according to the people familiar with Bannon’s discussions. They said Trump has recently told friends and aides that he is willing to engage in political warfare in the coming months to stop his presidency from being consumed by the investigation.
Bannon’s conversations, including a meeting Tuesday night between the former strategist and Trump confidants, have so far remained through back channels.
The 64-year-old strategist has huddled in recent days — at his Capitol Hill townhouse, a Washington hotel and over the phone — with a handful of White House aides, GOP lawmakers and conservative media figures who speak frequently with Trump, according to people involved, who spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Bannon’s standing within Trump’s orbit is tenuous. In January, lawyers for Trump accused Bannon of breaking a confidentiality agreement by making critical comments about Trump and his family in “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” by Michael Wolff.
Ever since, Bannon has seen his domestic political operation — which was focused on the 2018 midterm elections — fizzle, and his attention has turned abroad to boosting far-right nationalist candidates in Europe, giving speeches and promoting his hard-line views on global affairs. Amid all of that activity, he has regularly spoken with White House officials and lawmakers about Trump and offered informal guidance on issues such as trade and the Russia investigation.
Bannon, who has been interviewed extensively by Mueller’s team, remains sensitive about directly approaching Trump with his call to fire Rosenstein and curb Justice’s grip over the Russia probe, the people added, noting that federal investigators could raise questions about such exchanges.
Some top Trump advisers, such as White House counsel Donald McGahn, are said to be alarmed by the suggestions to fire Rosenstein or Mueller, worrying that such moves could prompt mass resignations at Justice and a constitutional crisis, the people said. ­McGahn, who in the past has threatened to step down if the president fired Mueller, is widely seen within the West Wing as liable to resign if Rosenstein is fired.
“A guy leaning on a mop over at the Justice Department may be the guy who ends up firing Mueller,” one person said.
Asked Wednesday afternoon whether Trump would be pushing out Rosenstein, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “I don’t have any personnel announcements.” But she offered no words of support for Rosenstein, signaling that the deputy attorney general’s job may be in jeopardy. Later Wednesday, a White House spokesman pointed to Huckabee Sanders’s news conference when asked for comment about Bannon.
Legal experts are dubious about Bannon’s idea that the White House could suddenly claim executive privilege on interviews that were given voluntarily by officials and be able to exclude them from an investigation that is partly reliant on those interviews. They also wonder if this action would even be allowed under the law and are certain it would be challenged in court.
But Bannon believes Trump can argue he was given poor counsel by his lawyers on Russia, including Ty Cobb, who has encouraged a cooperative approach to Mueller’s team.
“Ty Cobb should be fired immediately,” Bannon said.
Cobb declined to comment.
The case against Rosenstein has featured prominently in the closed-door discussions among Bannon and other figures on the right, with Bannon arguing that voters in the GOP base will stick by the president if he removes Rosenstein despite protests from Republican leaders and many others.
Rosenstein’s approval of the Cohen warrant, which led to raids Monday on Cohen’s home and office, has angered Trump and prompted him to vent over the past day about Rosenstein being “out of control,” one Republican lawmaker said.
If Rosenstein were fired, his replacement could reel in the authority that Mueller was granted last year and set new parameters for the scope of the Russia investigation, according to Louis Seidman, a constitutional-law professor at Georgetown University.
“Depending on how aggressive this person wanted to be, they could dismiss the criminal cases, they could get rid of the grand jury,” Seidman said. “In the end, if Trump is determined, the people he appoints could shut it down.”
For Bannon, this hostility to Mueller represents an evolution. A year ago, he opposed the firing of then-FBI Director James B. Comey and recommended a hands-off approach to the Russia investigation and Justice.
“I have the utmost respect for Bob Mueller and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but the developments over the past two weeks make it the right time to shift the center of gravity of this back to Capitol Hill,” Bannon said. “Make the Republican Party own this, force them to have his back.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bannon-pitches-white-house-on-plan-to-cripple-mueller-probe-and-protect-trump/2018/04/11/1ec5b1b2-3d9f-11e8-a7d1-e4efec6389f0_story.html

Steve Bannon is reportedly pushing a plan to thwart the Mueller investigation
Former White House chief strategist Bannon has proposed a way to end the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections, The Washington Post reported.
He suggested that the White House stops cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is handling the probe, and fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/11/mueller-investigation-bannon-makes-plan-to-end-probe-protect-trump.html

more: https://www.google.com/search?q=steve+bannon

The bottom drops out for Republicans
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-bottom-drops-out-for-republicans/2018/04/11/2320b5ea-3dbd-11e8-a7d1-e4efec6389f0_story.html

more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dZsUs9r0-ec2OwMGUjSbVBxCiCRdM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en

Justice Dept. gives Nunes access to document on Russia probe’s origins, cooling his threat to impeach its leaders
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-dept-gives-nunes-access-to-document-on-russia-probes-origins-cooling-his-threat-to-impeach-its-leaders/2018/04/11/9e965f0e-3dd6-11e8-8d53-eba0ed2371cc_story.html

more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dY04_BvvA1RlykMv5LOIWo2hrOdNM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en