Giuliani: Let’s face it, the 13 partisan Democrats on Mueller’s team are trying to “frame” Trump

Anytime there’s an escalation in Russiagate rhetoric by Team Trump it’s worth noting and wondering what news might be coming that they know about but we don’t — yet. Rudy’s in contact with Mueller’s lawyers and of course he’s endlessly fielding media inquiries about the investigation; from those two sources he’s bound to get broad hints about new developments that haven’t become public. For instance, it seemed strange and random when POTUS went on a Twitter tirade about Paul Manafort on Sunday:

As only one of two people left who could become President, why wouldn’t the FBI or Department of “Justice” have told me that they were secretly investigating Paul Manafort (on charges that were 10 years old and had been previously dropped) during my campaign? Should have told me!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2018

….Paul Manafort came into the campaign very late and was with us for a short period of time (he represented Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole & many others over the years), but we should have been told that Comey and the boys were doing a number on him, and he wouldn’t have been hired!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2018

What the hell was that about, people wondered? My guess was that maybe Manafort had finally agreed to cooperate with Mueller, Trump had gotten wind of it, and he’d taken to Twitter to pre-spin the news that was coming. Some sort of Manafort news was surely coming, though. Lo and behold, within 24 hours the NYT was reporting that Mueller suspected Manafort of witness tampering. The paper probably asked the White House for reaction over the weekend, triggering POTUS’s “Paul who?” Twitter spasm.

Now here’s Giuliani with the hardest knock on Mueller yet, accusing him of not just conducting a baseless “witch hunt” but of preparing to frame the president for a crime he didn’t commit. Does … he have reason to believe that Trump’s about to be formally accused of something by Mueller? Or is he just caught up in the moment in the clip below, pandering to a friendly audience with irresponsible chatter about the head of state being framed by deep-state operatives like all cautious, judicious lawyers do?

An amazing true fact via Harry Enten:

After 9/11, Rudy Giuliani had a +70 point net favorable rating. In December 2016, it was +13 points. Q-Pac today had him at -15 points. That’s not very good.

— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) June 6, 2018

The hero of 9/11 is at 29/44 nationally, fully 20 points underwater among independents. The last time Quinnipiac polled him, in 2007 during his brief presidential run, he was at 47/32. I think obituarists will be kind to him when his time finally comes by leading with his 9/11 response but don’t hold me to that if the Russiagate standoff turns ugly this year and Rudy remains the tip of Trump’s messaging spear. Depending on how crazy things get, maybe this ends up as his legacy.

In lieu of an exit question, read Paul Rosenzweig on why Mueller’s witness-tampering claim about Manafort is not just weak but may signal trouble for Mueller. Quote: “This is a sign that they are feeling pressure. Possibly from Trump. Possibly from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Possibly just from their reading of the public tea leaves. Whatever the source of the pressure, they have an increased sense of urgency to move quickly.” If they desperately need Manafort’s cooperation at this point to make something stick, maybe they have less evidence against Trump and his inner circle than we all suspect. Which makes Rudy’s “framing” comment even weirder.