With Donald Trump you don’t have to speculate about what he thinks, he sends messages straight through Twitter and Fox News. Today in an interview with Fox’s Ainsley Earhardt he sent Paul Manafort another message that a pardon may be on the way.
Earhardt: “Are you considering pardoning Paul Manafort”
Trump: “I have great respect for what he’s done.”
Trump tells Fox News that “every consultant/lobbyist” in Washington does the same things as Paul Manafort who was convicted of eight felonies yesterday
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) August 23, 2018
During the interview, Trump also downplayed his relationship with his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen (you knew this was coming). Trump dismissed him as was “one of many” lawyers he had, “didn’t do big deals,” and “not someone that was with me much.” Of course, who can forget the many times reporters asked questions about payments to Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels and Trump referred them to only one lawyer, Cohen. Also judging by tweets like this it sure seemed like they had a tight relationship.
The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I don’t speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will “flip.” They use….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018
As for Cohen’s allegation that Trump was a co-conspirator, Earnhardt didn’t directly ask about this. But there was this exchange:
Earhardt: “Did you direct him to make the payments”
Trump: “He made the deals, he made the deals. By the way, he pled to two counts that aren’t a crime. Which nobody understands.”
In the same breath, it seems Trump did know about the payments because he says “they didn’t come out of the campaign, they came from me.” Trump suggests this would make everything kosher, but he might want to consult his attorney on this point.
Trump, defending himself, says hush money payments weren’t made with campaign funds, but … that’s likely still illegal https://t.co/rd98lIBizd
— Vox (@voxdotcom) August 22, 2018
Trump may not think the circumstances of those payments were illegal, but he did seem to think Cohen implicating him during his plea deal Tuesday should be a crime. He said, “It called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal.”
Another target in Trump’s interview was Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Trump is hammering AG Sessions in intv with Fox News. Says he hasnt gotten control of DOJ
"What kind of a man is this?" Trump asks about Sessions' recusing himself from Russia probe. "By the way, the only reason I gave him the job, I felt loyalty. He was an original supporter."
— Karen Travers (@karentravers) August 23, 2018
As for Trump’s own performance. He spent much of the interview patting himself on the back.
Grading on a curve? "I would give myself an A+," says Pres Trump, asked how he would grade himself as president. Cites tax cuts, his 2 SCOTUS nominees, an economy he says is best in history – but again says the press doesn't cover him fairly.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 23, 2018
Trump says to FOX, “I don’t see how you can impeach somebody who is doing a good job.“ Oh, right. He might as well just say it: “What’s with the opposition to Mussolini? Didn’t he make the trains run on time?”
— Laurence Tribe 🇺🇦 ⚖️ (@tribelaw) August 23, 2018
Trump tells FOX, pointing at his own head, “I can’t be impeached. You would be poor without me.” Recall when he said “I alone can fix it”? He really meant it — and really thinks he’s beyond the reach of law because of his imagined genius at doing stuff.
— Laurence Tribe 🇺🇦 ⚖️ (@tribelaw) August 23, 2018
Trump: "If I get impeached, everybody will be poor."
He actually said that this morning.
So, NOBODY could do well if he wasn't President. NOBODY could get by without him. EVERYBODY needs him to survive.
Are there any Trump supporters out there who actually believe that?
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) August 23, 2018
Watch the full interview above.