Trump issues outrageous lie in an effort to distract the nation from Stone sentencing debacle
In an era when the presidential tweet has replaced the official White House press release as the primary form of communication between the executive branch of government and the American public, deciphering the semi-literate ball of confusion that a typical Twitter post from Donald Trump usually consists of is often a task worthy of those practiced in the art of augury and the interpretation of arcane signals.
Sometimes, reading a Trump tweet feels like wandering into a serialized TV series mid-season with no idea of the previous plot or familiarity with the characters involved. That is particularly true when one hasn’t happened to be watching whatever it is on Fox News that triggered Trump’s tiny Twitter fingers into action.
With the president’s mind alternating back and forth between the New Hampshire primary and the criminal justice system whose clutches his impeachment acquittal last week has kept him from at least a while longer, Trump’s Wednesday morning tweets were a confusing jumble of braggadocio, phony accusations, and head-scratching references to unnamed “Swamp Creatures.”
After a post in which Trump complained that his victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary — a result that had all the surprise of the sun rising in the morning — went uncelebrated in the major news media, the president tried to justify his administration’s interference in the sentencing of his convicted former political advisor Roger Stone by attributing the decision to his Attorney General William Barr and claiming that the conviction was the product of a supposedly illegitimate investigation by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought. Evidence now clearly shows that the Mueller Scam was improperly brought & tainted. Even Bob Mueller lied to Congress!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2020
It was Trump’s next tweet, however, that required an interpreter.
Two months in jail for a Swamp Creature, yet 9 years recommended for Roger Stone (who was not even working for the Trump Campaign). Gee, that sounds very fair! Rogue prosecutors maybe? The Swamp! @foxandfriends @TuckerCarlson
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2020
While it is often difficult to fit all the details of a story within Twitter’s 280 character limit, it’s uncertain how the president expected the public to understand who he was referring to with his comparison of the two-month sentence for some unknown “Swamp Creature” with a conviction for some unspecified crime to the nine-year maximum sentence that the law specifies as the recommended penalty for Stone’s offenses of obstruction, making false statements, and witness tampering.
Luckily, the wonders of the modern internet allow one to dutifully research what the possibilities could be.
According to ABC News:
“The ‘swamp creature’ the president is referring to is most likely James Wolfe who in 2018 received a two month sentence after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI. Prosecutors argued at trial that Wolfe told a reporter in October 2017 that he served someone with a subpoena involving the Russia investigation and later lied about the exchange to FBI agents.”
Trump’s faulty assumption that the public would understand his reference is a minor problem compared to his massive lie regarding Roger Stone’s lack of a role in his campaign, given the phone records uncovered in the political advisor’s trial that show the regular communication between Stone and the campaign over WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked DNC emails. Even more insidious is Trump’s insinuation that Stone’s association with the campaign — and not the obstruction of justice, lies, and attempts to intimidate witnesses — were the motivation for his prosecution.
It’s an extremely sad and dangerous time in our nation when the President of the United States of America is actively undermining the rule of law and accusing dedicated public servants attempting to enforce that law of being “rogue prosecutors.” Trump’s assault on America’s institutions is exactly the agenda that someone like Russian President Vladimir Putin would want him to do to help weaken our nation’s standing in the world.
Rogue president maybe? Certainly.
The Swamp!?!? Indubitably.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Elizabeth Thomas at ABC News.
