White male hubris is a powerful drug—especially in the case of Donald Trump.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, was found guilty in August of multiple financial fraud charges stemming from his pro-Russia party work in the Ukraine. And just last week, he plead guilty to criminal charges connected to special counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election that includes possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Keep in mind that a host of other Trump associates are cooperating with Mueller, including Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen. But, according to Reuters, Trump seems not to be worried at all that Manafort is talking to federal prosecutors about what he knows. When asked about Manafort’s cooperation with prosecutors investigating Russian collusion at the White House today, Trump was very confident.
“As long as he tells the truth, it’s 100 percent,” Trump said, before departing the White House to visit North and South Carolina. “If he tells the truth, no problem.”
“The truth,” huh? What is that in Trump world?
That’s an interesting response, given that Trump has lied at least 5,000 times since he took office. And given how often Trump tweets when the shit is about to hit the fan, I think it is safe to say that he is trying to present his poker face to the media.
We all know he is scared shitless or at least he better be.
Mueller has indicted or gotten guilty pleas from at least 32 people and three companies, according to Vox. Though there have been no allegations from Mueller that Trump advisers colluded with the Kremlin—he is still investigating that—it isn’t too far fetched to assume some are forthcoming.
And that surely scares the hell out of Trump.
He just won’t admit it.