The one thing that seemed to emerge from Thursday’s viewing of the documents that Donald Trump claimed would show an FBI spy “implanted” in his campaign was … nothing. No spy. No implanting. No evidence that would rile even the most conspiracy-happy Trump supporter. The emperor’s new theory was simply naked lies.
Though Republicans did rouse themselves enough to complain when Democrats pointed out the truth, the prevailing attitude—even among the most ardent Trump supporters—was one of walking away, saying little, and hoping that the press would simply forget this whole thing. But Donald Trump is not giving up. He’s determined that his own version of “unmasking” and “release the memo” is just as good as … those Devin Nunes-created pointless exercises in distraction.
So Trump’s morning Twitter session includes some parting shots at this fantasy target.
Even based on the new Republican formula that lies are patriotic, while telling the truth represents a leak of classified information, this seems … Honestly, it’s hard to know what this seems. Unintelligible, that’s what it seems. Trump appears to be suggesting that the FBI placed an informant within his campaign before there was any evidence of a connection to Russia, and paid that informant “a fortune.” None of which squares with what has made it into the public domain.
Considering what has been published by outlets such as the Washington Post, and the reaction of those who saw Trump’s apparently very-non-smoking-gun documents, this “nothing burger” appears to be even emptier than usual. Donald Trump is still trying to make what he calls “Spygate” happen … but he appears to be going it alone.
So far as we know, the entire scope of what Trump is talking about concerns Cambridge professor Stefan Halper, who talked with three members of the Trump campaign. According to the Washington Post, these contacts occurred in the “summer and fall” of 2016. Only two of them appear to have been a face to face meeting, starting with a “brief discussion” with Trump adviser Carter Page following a speech Page gave in mid-July, followed by a meeting over coffee with Trump co-chair Sam Clovis on August 31. Halper also had a conversation with George Papadopoulos in early September. It’s unclear whether or not the FBI sent Halper to that Page speech, or whether he contacted the FBI out of concern over what he heard.
While the interaction with Carter Page may, by a matter of days, precede the official opening of the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation on July 30, 2016, it came well after the FBI had already begun to investigate Russian actions around the election. The evidence of Russian involvement in theft of materials from the DNC was known to the FBI at least by May, and the Trump campaign was first briefed about the Russian involvement in June. And well before that briefing, Trump’s senior campaign staff hosted a group of Russian operatives at the infamous Trump Tower meeting on June 3.
That Halper talked to Page before the official opening of the investigation specifically targeting the Trump campaign only points up that Halper’s role was to look at what the Russians were doing, not what the Trump campaign was up to. In fact, his contact with Papadopoulos follows his talk with Clovis by only two days—which strongly suggests that this “spy” simply asked the campaign co-chair to point out anyone in his organization who might have had contact with the Russians. Very tricky.
But Trump is determined in his attempt to generate something where there is nothing. And he can still find a few people to repeat his terms, though it is getting harder.
Of course, that was Molly Hemingway talking with Tucker Carlson the night before everyone actually got a look at what Trump was parading as “evidence.”
Why isn’t the “Mainstream Media” all over this story? Because “police investigate crime” hasn’t yet become something so unique that it warrants attention. Though if we keep going the way Trump wants, that could change.