Nah, quite seriously I can’t credit him with that level of foresight / planning.
It’s true he bounces things off the crowd and repeats the things that make them cheer and whoop.
But if he was really thinking about his base then he wouldn’t have called in to FOX that morning. Put it this way: the three people sat on the sofa are part of his base, and we see how well his bizarre ranting went down with them.
I’m hoping that Melania’s culture sends cards in response to birthday cards. I’d like to see him receive this one: https://goo.gl/images/3AoLY8
Funny, but true. He’s been reported as a flagrant golf cheat by those who have played with him.
I don’t really see it as a process of “foresight / planning”–more of a ‘whatever comes into my head is GOLD and I’ll just say it.’ In other words, it’s possible that he did say it on purpose (because he knew his base would love the machismo of it) without having strategized about it for hours in advance.
As for whether the half-hour rant helped or hurt him in general with the base—once was probably okay. His base won’t care about the nuances of ‘this statement undermines Trump’s lawyer’s plans to do __________.’ They will just identify with his attitude of “I’ll do exactly as I please, and what I want to do right now is rant for half an hour.”
If it were to become a regular thing (as has been threatened), it might become less attractive to them.
Stuff like this is absolutely hilarious. Trump’s almost certain to Tweet his way into an obstruction charge one of these days.
Don’t those questions being leaked work in Trump’s favor?
Trump probably leaked them himself.
These were questions that were provided to his lawyers, so if you mean that it gives him more information, then no. However, most people knowledgeable to have an opinion do think that it is someone connected to the Trump legal team who leaked them to the media.
Reports I’m seeing (MSNBC) state that Jay Sekulow was the person who transcribed the questions during the March 5 meeting with Mueller where they were raised so yeah, that seems likely.
Also, new reporting (WaPo) sez that Mueller told Trump’s legal team at the same meeting that if Trump didn’t want to do an interview, he could always testify under subpoena, in front of a grand jury. 
It seems like everybody connected with Trump is so crooked they pee in a spiral. His lawyers can’t even keep from committing basic no-nos.
Anyone care to help a brother out by deciphering this bit of nonsense:
Who’s “they”? What documents? What redactions? If Trumplestiltskin feels he needs to exercise his awesome Presidential superpowers for [reasons], why doesn’t he just do so?
Yeah, again he seems to forget that they all work for him.
Some bomb-throwers in the House (notably Jim Jordan R-OH, and I’m not sure who else) have been demanding documents from the Justice Department, specifically the memo which appointed Mueller (which contains specifics about who was originally being investigated and what for). They’ve also requested documents about FISA warrants and other investigative materials. The Justice Department has been refusing to turn over some of this material on the grounds that it deals with active, ongoing investigations, and they’ve been turning over other material heavily redacted. This has led to grumbling and threats to impeach Rod Rosenstein, which is why he gave a speech yesterday that the Justice Department would not be “extorted”.
Trump has the authority to order the Justice Department to hand over all this material unredacted if he wants to since he’s the ultimate authority on classification, but of course it would be unprecedented for a sitting president to interfere in such a way.
It’s Trump’s second front. In addition to direct attacks on Mueller, he’s using the Congressional Wingnut Brigade to attack Rosenstein. You remember the competing memos from the House Intelligence Committee? The Republican version claimed that there was all sorts of Deep State shenanigans involved in the FISA warrant that authorized surveillance of Carter Page – that it was all predicated on the Steele Dossier and funded by Democrats. Complete nonsense, of course.
But congressional Republicans are demanding documents from the DoJ in their quest for the truth, and Rosenstein has told them to pound sand. Trump’s tweet is in support of those congresscritters.
Why doesn’t he just exercise his superpowers? Good question. Yes, the DoJ is part of the Executive and works at the pleasure of the president. But ever since Watergate, the President has kept a hands-off policy towards the day to day operations of the DoJ – it’s one of those “norms” that Trump is always shitting on. A president ordering the Attorney General to start a criminal prosecution is what dictators do.
He keeps blustering and threatening but hasn’t actually done anything – perhaps at some reptilian level he knows that it would start a constitutional shit storm and as much as he’d love to he’s not desperate enough to go there yet.
Thanks, folks; a bit clearer now, no thanks to President Tourette.
Trump went on a rampage attacking the “leaks” to the press of the questions Mueller sent to his lawyers. Guess who released the questions? Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow.
The call is coming from inside the house!
What a major fucking dipshit. He is the dipshitiest of the dipshits.
Nothing yet on today’s latest from the Golden Crested Great Orange LieTweeter?
So, Donnie, what you’re saying is Stormy was going to tell lies about sleeping with you, so you paid her $130,000 to not tell those lies? I’m not sure that makes sense.
“Extortionist” I can kinda see, but you don’t pay off people because they’re making up stuff about you.
Does anyone have a link to a clear statement from Trump stating he didn’t know anything about the $130,000?