Evidently a requirement for employment in this administration is a knack for constant, bald-faced lying. But to survive for any length of time, a special facility for duplicity is also essential. As a serial occupier of several high-profile positions within the administration, Mick Mulvaney appears to have mastered these crucial skills to the point where they are now automatic.
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Thursday walked back comments he made earlier in the day suggesting that President Donald Trump held up military aid to Ukraine until it moved to investigate a conspiracy involving the 2016 U.S election.
"There was absolutely no quid pro quo between Ukrainian military aid and any investigation into the 2016 election," he said in a statement contradicting remarks he made during an earlier press briefing.
Of course, as has been amply reported, Mulvaney said the exact opposite only a few hours earlier.
***
"That's why we held up the money," Mulvaney said after listing the 2016-related investigation and Trump's broader concerns about corruption in Ukraine.
After weeks during which Trump denied the existence of any political quid pro quo in his withholding of security aid to Ukraine, Mulvaney confirmed the existence of a quid pro quo and offered this retort: "Get over it.”
Whether this is deliberate gaslighting or sheer incompetence is difficult to discern. There is no doubt that Mulvaney had just—quite explicitly-- confirmed the administration’s plan to extort Ukraine by demanding they investigate Democrats, a demand that included an explicit request that the Ukrainians “investigate (i.e., manufacture “dirt”) on Joe Biden, before receiving $390 million in Congressionally allocated aid
Reporter (M): (21:27)
So the demand for an investigation into the Democrats was part of the reason that he ordered to withhold funding to Ukraine?
Mick Mulvaney: (21:34)
The look back to what happened in 2016 certainly was part of the thing that he was worried about in corruption with that nation. And that is absolutely appropriate.
Reporter (M): (21:42)
Withholding the funding?
Mick Mulvaney: (21:43)
Yeah. Which ultimately then flowed.
Perhaps the fact that this was such a blatant admission of criminality, one which even drew a shocked rebuke from GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski, that motivated the abrupt about-face. Perhaps the administration, when saddled with this Perry Mason-worthy moment, felt it had no other choice but to declare up as down, black as white.
But the cat is already out of the bag, Mick. If you try to shove it back in, it’ll claw the shit out of you.