Three hours after Donald Trump Jr. sent the email confirming that he would meet with the “Russian government attorney” about dirt on Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Sr. announced, as The New York Times frames it, he would “deliver a major address detailing Mrs. Clinton’s ‘corrupt dealings’ to give ‘favorable treatment’ to foreign governments, including ‘the Russians.'” So now the obvious question: Coincidence or conspiracy? The Times provides a helpful timeline.
We don’t know what, or if anything, actually happened in the way of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. But, don’t forget, the Russians do know if anything happened. And if it did, and the Trumpworld liars have lied about it, you can see the real security risks involved. Via Vox.
In case you missed it, most Capitol Hill Republicans don’t seem to be that upset about Don Jr.’s attempt to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from a Kremlin-friendly Russian lawyer. What they’re upset about is that the White House can’t seem to come up with a story that they can safely get behind. Via The New Yorker.
Trump, trying to escape the Don Jr. controversy, goes to France for Bastille Day. But it looks like he has to take his own barricades with him. Via The Los Angeles Times.
From The National Review: What Don Jr. did in choosing to meet with the Russian lawyer was not treason. But it also wasn’t in any way defensible.
Frank Rich: The scandal in which every Trump turns out to be Fredo and not a single Trump lawyer is nearly as good as Tom Hagen. Via New York magazine.
The critical question for Cristopher Wray, Trump’s nominee to replace the fired James Comey as head of the FBI, is whether he could be independent of the man who appointed him. For what it’s worth, he said he could. Many Democrats seem ready to believe him. Via The Atlantic.
As the Senate gets ready to introduce yet another version of Trumpcare — the last one, you’ll recall, didn’t even make it to the floor — opponents are lining up to voice their complaints. Who’s leading the charge? Who do you think — only hospitals, doctors and patients. It’s no wonder the bill is polling at around 20 percent. Via The Washington Post.
Why is it so hard for Republicans to pass a new healthcare bill? It seems that many people aren’t comfortable cutting taxes for the rich while, at the same time, reducing benefits for the poor. Apparently, Republicans can’t put together a bill that doesn’t do both. Via The New York Times.
A significant number of centrist Senate Republicans remain opposed to the deep cuts to Medicaid in the latest Trumpcare bill. We’re left to wonder if mostly silent Cory Gardner is among them. Via Politico.
Photo by Eric Brechemeir, via Flickr: Creative Commons
