"Trump is at 33 percent in Gallup. You cant go any lower. Hes fucked." Former Trump campaign aide [View all]
Until now, Robert Mueller has haunted Donald Trumps White House as a hovering, mostly unseen menace. But by securing indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and a surprise guilty plea from foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, Mueller announced loudly that the Russia investigation poses an existential threat to the president. Heres what Manaforts indictment tells me: Mueller is going to go over every financial dealing of Jared Kushner and the Trump Organization, said former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg. Trump is at 33 percent in Gallup. You cant go any lower. Hes fucked.
The first charges in the Mueller probe have kindled talk of what the endgame for Trump looks like, according to conversations with a half-dozen advisers and friends of the president. For the first time since the investigation began, the prospect of impeachment is being considered as a realistic outcome and not just a liberal fever dream. According to a source, advisers in the West Wing are on edge and doing whatever they can not to be ensnared. One person close to Dina Powell and Gary Cohn said theyre making sure to leave rooms if the subject of Russia comes up.
Trump, meanwhile, has reacted to the deteriorating situation by lashing out on Twitter and venting in private to friends. Hes frustrated that the investigation seems to have no end in sight. Trump wants to be critical of Mueller, one person whos been briefed on Trumps thinking says. He thinks its unfair criticism. Clinton hasnt gotten anything like this. And what about Tony Podesta? Trump is like, When is that going to end? According to two sources, Trump has complained to advisers about his legal team for letting the Mueller probe progress this far. Speaking to Steve Bannon on Tuesday, Trump blamed Jared Kushner for his role in decisions, specifically the firings of Mike Flynn and James Comey, that led to Muellers appointment, according to a source briefed on the call. When Roger Stone recently told Trump that Kushner was giving him bad political advice, Trump agreed, according to someone familiar with the conversation. Jared is the worst political adviser in the White House in modern history, Nunberg said. Im only saying publicly what everyone says behind the scenes at Fox News, in conservative media, and the Senate and Congress. (The White House didnt respond to a request for comment by deadline.)
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/11/the-west-wing-trump-is-apoplectic-as-allies-fear-impeachment