was considered by his own lawyers to be too dumb to testify to Mueller without perjuring himself?

According to Bob Woodward’s book, Fear: Trump in the White House, Trump’s lawyers tried to convince Mueller that he couldn’t testify because he is “a pathological liar.” An excerpt reads,

Dowd then explained to Mueller and Quarles why he was trying to keep the president from testifying: “I’m not going to sit there and let him look like an idiot. And you publish that transcript, because everything leaks in Washington, and the guys overseas are going to say, ‘I told you he was an idiot. I told you he was a goddamn dumbbell. What are we dealing with this idiot for?'”

Dowd also dissuaded Trump from testifying:

Don’t testify. It’s either that or an orange jumpsuit…You are not a good witness. Mr. President, I’m afraid I just can’t help you.

The Washington Post – Bob Woodward’s new book reveals a ‘nervous breakdown’ of Trump’s presidency
The Hill – Lawyer told Trump he’s going to jail if he testifies to Mueller: Woodward book
Vanity Fair – EX-TRUMP LAWYER TOLD MUELLER THAT TRUMP IS TOO DUMB TO TESTIFY
The Atlantic – Here Are the Most Extraordinary Quotes From Bob Woodward’s Book

was described by his top economic adviser as “an idiot surrounded by clowns” that is “less a person than a collection of terrible traits”?

Quoted by Michael Wolff in his 2018 book Fire and Fury, the email by Cohn reads as follows:

It’s worse than you can imagine. An idiot surrounded by clowns. Trump won’t read anything–not one-page memos, not the brief policy papers; nothing. He gets up halfway through meetings with world leaders because he is bored. And his staff is no better. Kushner is an entitled baby who knows nothing. Bannon is an arrogant prick who thinks he’s smarter than he is. Trump is less a person than a collection of terrible traits. No one will survive the first year but his family.

 

I hate the work, but feel I need to stay because I’m the only person there with a clue what he’s doing. The reason so few jobs have been filled is that they only accept people who pass ridiculous purity tests, even for midlevel policy-making jobs where the people will never see the light of day. I am in a constant state of shock and horror.

In Fear, the 2018 book by Bob Woodward, Cohn described two instances in which he removed documents from Trump’s desk so they wouldn’t be signed. The documents would have canceled trade agreements with South Korea and initiated a unilateral withdrawal from NAFTA.

Trump also asked Cohn to print more money in order to pay off US debt.

Gary Cohn at Regional Media Day (cropped).png
Gary Cohn. Wikipedia

Cohn served as the White House’s chief economic advisor from January 2017 to April 2018, when he resigned over Trump’s decision to institute tariffs against China.

CBS News – Gary Cohn answers question about future at White House: “I’m here today”
Business Insider – Gary Cohn reportedly snatched documents off Trump’s desk to prevent him from wrecking 2 massive trade deals
The Hill – Woodward: Economic adviser ‘stole a letter off Trump’s desk’
CNBC – Gary Cohn resigns as Trump’s top economic advisor
Wikipedia – Gary Cohn

praised Greg Gianforte for body-slamming a reporter?

Greg Gianforte, candidate for Montana’s US House of Representatives seat, had assaulted a reporter from The Guardian. The reported had asked about his healthcare policy at his campaign headquarters on the eve of the election. Gianforte then body slammed the reporter to the ground, which was caught on audio recording.

Gianforte later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. He was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management and a $300 fine along with a $85 court fee.

At a subsequent rally, Trump praised Gianforte, describing him as “my kind of guy.”

ABC News – Trump: No regrets for praising Greg Gianforte for body-slamming reporter
CNN – pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault Monday morning.
The Guardian – Greg Gianforte misled police after assault of Guardian journalist, incident report shows

said it was “too inconvenient” to use a secure phone?

There have been multiple reports on how Trump communicates via unsecured lines, especially among his inner circle, because using secure methods is too great an inconvenience. Intelligence analysts believe Russia or other foreign powers could use these conversations against both America’s foreign policy and Trump individually, and have detected signs of such spying.

Particular concern has been raised about the Kremlin listening in on conversations between Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani regarding communications to the Ukrainian President over military aid for defense from Russia. White House officials have stated that Trump makes such calls regularly.

Politico – ‘Too inconvenient’: Trump goes rogue on phone security
The New York Times – When Trump Phones Friends, the Chinese and the Russians Listen and Learn
The Washington Post – Signs of sophisticated cellphone spying found near White House, U.S. officials say
Independent – Trump ‘routinely’ made sensitive calls on lines open to Russian surveillance, White House officials say
The Washington Post – Phone logs in impeachment report renew concern about security of Trump communications

saluted a North Korean military officer?

The salute came during a historic 2018 summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un held in Singapore.

The North Korean officer saluted Trump and offered his hand for a shake. Trump returned the salute before shaking hands.

The scene was circulated by North Korean state media. The subsequent photo appeared especially egregious, as it implied that Trump’s salute was unprompted.

Image result for trump salutes korean officer

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in Trump’s defense,

It’s a common courtesy when a military official from another government salutes that you return that.

Trump said of the historic meeting that he didn’t need preparation or notes, due to it being all about “attitude” and his having “one of the greatest memories.” He also asked the press to ensure that he and Kim looked “nice and thin and perfect.”

The Hill – North Korea state TV airs footage of Trump saluting North Korean military officer
Business Insider – Vladimir Putin refused a salute from a North Korean general, which Trump controversially accepted
Politico – Trump faces backlash after saluting North Korean general
The New York Times – White House Defends Trump’s Salute to a North Korean Military Officer
NBC News – North Korean state media footage shows Trump saluting NK general

tweeted that his attorney general should stop the Mueller investigation?

Trump’s attorney general, Jeff Sessions, had recused himself from the investigation into Russian election interference, which developed into the Special Council after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. Trump’s tweet that “Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now” was immediately called an example of attempting to obstruct the Special Council’s investigation.

New York Times – Trump Tells Sessions to ‘Stop This Rigged Witch Hunt Right Now’

fist-bumped authoritarian Turkish leader Erdogan, saying that he “does things the right way”?

At a 2018 NATO conference while discussing with other heads of state the processes by which they would need to raise more money for the mutual defense pact, Trump reportedly praised Turkish leader Erdogan.

Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group and a CBS News senior global affairs contributor, described what he witnessed backstage at the conference:

Trump was very frustrated; he wasn’t getting commitments from other leaders to spend more. Many of them said, ‘Well, we have to ask our parliaments. We have a process; we can’t just tell you we’re going to spend more, we have a legal process.’

 

Trump turns around to the Turkish president, Recep Erdogan, and says, ‘Except for Erdogan over here. He does things the right way,’ and then actually fist-bumps the Turkish president.

Erdogan has censored the press and social media, engaged in purges against opposition, and jailed Turkish citizens for voicing dissent.

CBS News – Trump fist-bumped Turkish leader Erdogan, said he “does things the right way”
Eurasia Group – With flattery and a fist-bump, Trump endorses strongmen like never before
Wikipedia – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Authoritarianism

said the “European Union is a foe” just before meeting with Putin alone?

Much of the European Union are allies to the United States through NATO, a mutual defense pact formed explicitly to defend against the Soviet Union. He also said Russia is a “foe in certain respects” and China “is a foe economically.”

Two days later, Trump met with Putin alone for a two hour meeting without any American officials or translators present.

CBS News – “I think the European Union is a foe,” Trump says ahead of Putin meeting in Helsinki
NPR – Trump Says He Sees The European Union As A ‘Foe’ Of U.S.
CNN – Trump and Putin met one-on-one in a room for 2 hours. Here’s why that’s a problem.

said that of meetings scheduled throughout Europe, the one with Putin “may be the easiest”?

The remark immediately drew attention, given that the other meetings in Europe included with longstanding US allies, and the one scheduled with Putin would not include any other American officials. Trump explained that Putin was merely a “competitor,” and not an enemy.

In the days leading up to the meeting, he also referred to the European Union as “a foe.”

Reuters – Trump says Putin ‘competitor’, not enemy
ABC News – Trump says Putin meeting ‘may be the easiest of them all’

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