I doubt Jared or Junior will be indicted on Monday.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

I suspect it's Manafort but Michael Flynn , the disgraced general, is the bigger "get", as he was much closer to Trump and had been his associate longer.

[dhol82]

1. They would be good marks for turning

Not sure it will happen.
Think it might be lower level players who can’t count on a pardon from the donald.

[Calista241]

6. it's going to be tough depending on the charges against them.

Prior convictions for the failure to register as a foreign agent have relatively small fines and probation as sentences. Nobody is going to flip on Trump to avoid probation.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. The typical plan is to indict someone they can "turn."

It would be much easier to turn Manafort or Flynn than an immediate member of the Trump Crime Family.

[NastyRiffraff]

11. Manafort and/or Flynn gets my vote

Not that my vote means anything! But those two seem to be the easiest to flip who actually know something. Neither of them strikes me as particularly loyal to anyone or anything but themselves.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

13. Their low hanging fruit,

easy picking.

[SummerSnow]

3. Lock him up and he will sing like a canary

[awesomerwb1]

4. Couldn't dump just pardon them?

So why would they flip? Honest question

[rufus dog]

7. They could hand down a Federal & State indictment

tRump can pardon the federal crime.

[EL34x4]

5. It'll be Manafort who's indicted, and for nothing that has anything to do with...

...the Russian collusion case. It'll be for some shadiness he was doing prior to working on Trump's campaign.

And by this time next week, Mueller will have resigned.

That's my prediction. And here's why:

Mueller is under great pressure to produce something, particularly now that two mainstream news agencies (Fox and the WSJ) have called for him to resign and GOP lawmakers are threatening to chop off funding. Manafort is going to be the "Scooter Libby" fall guy and give Mueller a scalp for all the time and money that's been spent.

Manafort will get convicted over some process violation, maybe do a little time in Club Fed, and offer up nothing linking Trump to any illegal activities. Mueller will conclude that while he knows Trump is dirty, he can't really prove it and that'll be the end of it. Mueller will retire to a lucrative private practice, Manafort will eventually receive some sort of pardon or commutation, and Trump will lose interest over Uranium One.

[Calista241]

8. I too, think this is the most likely outcome.

Unfortunately.

[pnwmom]

9. Mueller LEFT a very lucrative private practice to work for justice. Why would he quit

before the job was done? It's much to early for him to decide he couldn't prove DT is guilty. Major prosecutions can take years, and Mueller knew that when he agreed to take the job.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Plus FOX and the WSJ are owned by Rupert Murdoch and are auxiliaries of the GOP...

Only in a parallel universe are they mainstream news organizations.

[pnwmom]

16. Yeah, I thought that was a weird thing to say. Hmmmm . . . . nt

[Hortensis]

20. Me too. I WAS WRONG, tho: WSJ ed board DID call on Mueller

Last edited Sun Oct 29, 2017, 09:36 AM - Edit history (2)

to resign. This desperation story is all over the worst of right-wing media, a major red flag in itself.

What I wrote after used to be correct, and this WSJ editorial board statement is a shocking indicator of...change, and perhaps likely the extreme power of extreme wealth.

I'll still make my own prediction: This first indictment will be chosen in part to solidify in peoples' minds the purpose of the investigation, which at base is to learn what relation there was/is between Russia and the Trump campaign and has spread to include all actions up to today. And to prosecute crimes uncovered as required.

(Amended post.)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. FOX and the Wall Street Journal are owned by Rupert Murdoch.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. Do you think Rupert Murdoch owned FOX and the WSJ are "mainstream news agencies" ?

The latter had a conservative agenda even before Murdoch bought it and the former has always been an auxiliary of the GOP.

[EL34x4]

22. Yes, I do. Conservative-leaning, sure, but also mainstream...

...And neither news agency was particularly enthusiastic about Donald Trump.

Fox and WSJ are mainstream news organizations. They're not Breitbart or InfoWars.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. "Fox and WSJ are mainstream news organizations..."

Fox and WSJ are mainstream news organizations. They're not Breitbart or InfoWars

Only in a parallel universe can FOX NEWS be considered a mainstream organization. It has been an auxiliary of the GOP since its founding:

These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports and omit reporting of information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy


https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/fox-news/

and the Wall Street Journal has always leaned right:

These media sources are slightly to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes) to favor conservative causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information, but may require further investigation. See all Right-Center sources.

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/wall-street-journal/

Why even bring up infowars and breitbart ? They aren't even legitimate news organizations.

[EL34x4]

24. I didn't say "unbiased." I said "mainstream."

There is a difference. And, yes, Fox and WSJ are mainstream news organizations that lean decidedly conservative.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. If you believe FOX is a "mainstream news organization"...

If you believe FOX NEWS or any property of the Murdoch media empire are "mainstream news organizations", all the qualifiers in the world notwithstanding, there is nothing I can do to disabuse you of that notion..

[Hortensis]

28. Mainstream organizations are saying Fox has become a full-on

propaganda organ for the White House, and of course that also means it serves people like Robert Mercer and those of the Trump alliance.

I don't know where you picked this idea up from, aside from Fox itself, and I also doubt you can be "disabused" of this position. But it doesn't belong here.

Fox is an influential network, yes, but that it should haven been given a license as a news organization at all has been in dispute from the very beginning. Many other nations rightly do not allow this kind of thing.

In any case, that Fox is a mainstream news source is itself right-wing disinformation.

The content of our major media is being continually evaluated by various organizations. Perhaps a quarter to third of Fox's content overlaps that of respectable right wing journals like the WSJ; another similar amount overlaps the blatant lies of Infowars, Dailly Caller, and their like; and the largest bloc between the two has a hard-right bias in which facts are routinely twisted or omitted with specific effect of deluding rather than informing.

By the way, when tested on knowledge, those who got their news from Fox scored lower than those who pay no attention to any news source.

[EL34x4]

29. Jesus. Pay attention.

For the last time, I'm not calling Fox unbiased, neutral, objective, or any of the sort.

It is decidedly a CONSERVATIVE news organization.

Are we clear?

Fox News is the most watched cable news network. This makes it mainstream. Whether you like it or not.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

30. I am paying attention.

Jesus. Pay attention.

I am beyond flabbergasted that anyone believes "FOX NEWS" is a mainstream news organization unless that person was a patron of FOX NEWS.

Fox News is the most watched cable news network. This makes it mainstream.

They have approximately one point eight million daily viewers in a nation of nearly three hundred thirty million.


FOX NEWS IS NOT MAINSTREAM

[Hortensis]

31. No. CONTENT defines mainstream, not volume.

Worse, EL34, you called it a "mainstream news agency" right alongside the WSJ. As if they were in any way comparably accurate and ethical.

The facts are that in most advanced nations Fox could never have obtained a license as a news network and that in this one corruption prevailed over those who tried to prevent it from happening.

[EL34x4]

32. So, please, humor me.

In a nation where the GOP controls the presidency, the House, the Senate, 26 state government trifectas, 32 state legislatures, 34 statehouses and Fox is the highest-rated cable news channel, what do you consider "mainstream"? Mother Jones? The Nation?

Seriously...

FFS, I'm not sitting here typing, "RAH RAH RAH!!! FOX NEWS IS AWESOME!!!" But let's get real. Step away from DU, go outside, and have a look around. It kinda smells like Fox News is mainstream.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

34. SMH

FFS, I'm not sitting here typing, "RAH RAH RAH!!! FOX NEWS IS AWESOME!!!" But let's get real. Step away from DU, go outside, and have a look around. It kinda smells like Fox News is mainstream.

-EL34x4

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029762665#post32

SMH

"what do you consider "mainstream"? Mother Jones? The Nation? "

--EL34x4

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029762665#post32

They are left wing media organizations. That being said, I don't expect to see them denigrated on a progressive website. I trust them more than FOX.

[Hortensis]

36. Smells, all right. But let's close with a smile.

"It does strike me that, in the last few days at least, Fox News seems to think that’s where I live, in the White House. Because they spend a disproportionate amount of their time talking about impeaching me.” Hillary Clinton last night.

[LuvLoogie]

10. Jared may have already turned in order to be with his young children

and in Ivanka's bed.

Manafort's a dead man if he turns. If he's out of the USA, one of Putin's agents will get him. Might get him anyway. Manafort probably has a file on the trumps.

He may be untouchable. Trump pardons him. Unless thy also have Manafort in New York.

Flynn is an ideologue. He won't turn. Trump will pardon him.

It will be Ivanka and junior on money laundering. trump will lose his shit, and Jared will turn to quivering mush.

[pnwmom]

17. Of course they have Manafort in NY. They have strict banking laws there

and they don't like money laundering.

And the AG there is cooperating with Mueller.



And if Trump starts trying to pardon people like Flynn, he might find his support in Congress quickly eroding. Especially if Mueller has the evidence to name DT as an "unindicted co-conspirator."

[LuvLoogie]

19. I think the key players in the GOP stick with trump to the bitter end.

I think it's the donors who have their own hotel room tapes and dossiers on the GOPers. They HAVE to pass that tax cut. What's a few high crimes and misdemeanors when they're already enabling the Bigot Grifter Shit Show Barker in Chief?

[oberliner]

12. No one will be indicted on Monday

It will remained sealed.

[pnwmom]

18. Till Tuesday.

[Irish_Dem]

26. If nothing else, Mueller is working outer circle to inner circle.

Too soon for those right next to Trump. Those are the people he is trying to rattle?

[Kleveland]

27. Curbing my enthusiasm here..

Very tired of having my hopes dashed by the serious evil that is afoot.

I will believe it and embrace it, if and when something real and positive happens.

The greed of the few seems to be overpowering the needs of the many.

Very out of balance, and destructive.

[maryellen99]

35. I thought it was Manafort when his BFF had his twitter meltdown nt