The Cohen Material Just Released By The Court

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Okay, as you may recall, the Judge William Pauley in the Southern District of New York had indicated he would release additional materials from the Cohen case there. As some background, here is our friend Adam Klasfeld of Courthouse News (if you are on Twitter and not following Adam, you are doing it wrong). Here is a Twitter thread Adam did as background.

Here is a blurb from his original story on this:

The first time a tranche of search warrants against former Trump fixer Michael Cohen became public, U.S. prosecutors aggressively redacted those materials to protect what was then an ongoing campaign-finance probe.

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, stops to talk to a member of the press on May 4, 2019, in New York. Cohen reported to a federal prison on May 6 to begin serving a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations, tax evasion, bank fraud and lying to Congress. AP Photo/Jonathan Carroll)
Announcing that investigation’s end, a judge ordered prosecutors on Wednesday to quickly disclose new information about how Cohen paid two women to silence their stories about supposed affairs with President Donald Trump.

“The campaign finance violations discussed in the materials are a matter of national importance,” U.S. District Judge William H Pauley III wrote. “Now that the government’s investigation into those violations has concluded, it is time that every American has an opportunity to scrutinize the materials.”

That moment is now. And, without further adieu, here are the newly released materials:

Cover Letter

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 2

Exhibit 3

Exhibit 4

Exhibit 5

Exhibit 6

Exhibit 7

Exhibit 8

Exhibit 9

Okay folks, this is a working thread. I have gotten it up as fast as possible, but there was a LOT of documents to download, and then upload. Have at it. There are many fascinating things in there, but many were known already. It is the newly unredacted stuff that is important. Happy hunting!

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116 replies
  1. Democritus says:

    I read the one section and am DYING to hear a lawyers POV (lol corrected I have the most awkward typos I swear)

    Don cheated to win, and would not have won without all the scams he had going IMO

  2. Tom says:

    Even Rudy G. said on Fox News on May 3, 2018 that the news about the payoffs could have been very damaging to Trump’s campaign if it had come out in mid-October 2016, just before the election

  3. Democritus says:

    Must be nice to be immune to regular constraints, eh Hope Hicks? She lied so many times, if she isn’t cooperating behind the sciences, ha!, she should have been charged also.

    Just fucking bs, she blatantly lied to the fucking FBI FFS.

    Screams into the void. I need a news break for a few hours if I can manage it.

    • Ed Walker says:

      I recommend reading fiction. I’m currently reading Pride and Prejudice for the ? time. Just finished Moby Dick. How about Terry Pratchett? Or Isaac Asimov? Or one of my favorites, Possession by AS Byatt.

      • P J Evans says:

        The “Murderbot” novellas by Martha Wells. N.K. Jemisin. “The Goblin Emperor”. C. J. Cherryh.

      • Democritus says:

        Ed, thank you I was just saying I was going to read pride and prejudice, and fuck it I am going to read that today.

        Thanks everyone.

        Ohhhh also second NK Jemisin! She is a treasure!

        And jack reacher, I mean I am a military brat.

        Oh my, my kitty who is knocked out on my shoulder was just dreaming she was suckling or grooming maybe I think.

        Sorry for the delay, I somehow missed seeing these comments yesterday.

      • Trinity Alps says:

        Or anything by Neal Stephenson, the detail alone will rewrite a bunch of that news taking up space in your brain.

    • hester says:

      Nah. I’m not so sure it’s nice to be immune from regular constraints. My guess is that it rots the soul….

  4. PieIsDamnGood says:

    Exhibit 1 (starting on page 38) includes the previously redacted “The Illegal Campaign Contribution Scheme” Adam Klasfeld referenced.

    Page 41 begins detailed communications. Looks like Trump knew in real time, but it’s not illegal when the president does it?

  7. Democritus says:

    My news break didn’t last.

    ABC claiming DOJ confirms not prosecuting Hicks, not sure if this guy is legit though or access media
    “NEW: Sources familiar with the probe tell @ABC News Hope Hicks will NOT be charged, nor will anyone else as it relates to the investigation in the Southern District of New York”
    https://twitter.com/Santucci/status/1151887915364036610

    Then

    AOC: “I think the president put millions of Americans in danger last night. His rhetoric is endangering lots of people. This is not just about threats to individual members of Congress, but it is about creating a volatile environment in this country through violent rhetoric”

    https://mobile.twitter.com/AlexNBCNews/status/1151892013316485120

    Stay safe and keep fighting the good fight everyone.

    That shit Trump was railing about against Ilhan? It was straight of the teleprompter. It’s just going to get uglier. The need to start impeachment hearing that are premised of his actual high crimes and misdemeanors is extreme at this point, and use the investigatory phase to dig up the rest of the dirt.

    I come from a military family, and what happened to I may disagree with everything you stand for but will fight to the death for your right to say it? I can’t tell you how many conservatives officers I have seen say that line growing up. Where are they know?

    God knows what lengths Trump will go to to keep his Epstein dirt and dirt from his teenage modeling agency and pageants covered.

    • Rugger9 says:

      As I had noted earlier, the Squad stuff is exactly what Kaiser Quisling is doing to deflect attention away from the myriad other investigations including JE, who apparently is involved in criminal activity unrelated to the plea deal. I think KQ and the Palace will stop at nothing since even the fundies can’t really justify something like this. I’d only want to see how they will try, follow Falwell to get the talking points to come.

      But, the stench has been there for a long time, so why did this come out now? Barr was apparently tasked by the Palace to squelch the story, but this evidence is just so viscerally wrong on so many levels that it spiraled out of Barr’s ability to (ahem) manage the narrative. That’s even before the names drop out. Notice how none of the GOP are saying anything at all, even with Maddow’s tape yesterday.

      We also have the pending NYS AG investigations and I do not see that process stopping even if KQ pays off Andrew Cuomo (who does have a price, we just don’t know what it is) to shut her down. I think she could also take over just about every SDNY project as well but I’m not a NY lawyer.

      On the military front, that is exactly how we officers viewed things about the First Amendment, along with the clear understanding about staying out of political stuff. The latter item is not always followed by those dreaming of a flag in their future.

      • Democritus says:

        Agree with all of that. NY is corrupt as fuck apparently, but that’s the view from a far.

        I understand why Mattis left, but damn I wish he was still serving. The fact the smears that drew the chants were on the teleprompter still has me sick to my stomach.

        I sure hope Mueller is taking this in and using that brain of his to foresee the consequences of where the Trumpism offbrand of corrupt fascism would lead this world.

        • Rugger9 says:

          Well, that is the risk the Palace is taking, that Mueller (who did serve IIRC) will decide that covering for Kaiser Quisling to go and do this stuff is not going to fly. Mueller still wants to get up in the morning, look in the mirror and see an honorable man.

          The delay is making clearer by the day what Mueller tried to protect in his report.

        • Democritus says:

          I hope Mueller truly believes in the principles of honor and duty and understands what his duty is here

    • bmaz says:

      Not just ABC, that is my information for a couple of days too. And, yes, it is a bit stunning, as not only was Hicks a part of the two conspiracy counts Cohen was not just charged with, but convicted of. Not to mention, she quite clearly lied to Congress. How she was not charged is truly a mystery.

      • Democritus says:

        It’s almost as if there is a nexus of corruption in charge of one of the countries agencies of “justice”

        There is no democracy without the Rule of Law.

        Nancy and the Democratic caucus need to wake the fuck up on priorities.

        The GOP is corrupted to the core at this point.

        Thanks for a place to vent!

      • Badger Robert says:

        The Jewish guy with a family gets left holding the bag. The mindless pretty woman walks free. Celebrity justice.

        • bmaz says:

          Hicks is totally complicit, and apparently will walk away scott free. I do not think she is mindless at all; in fact she seems extremely bright to me. Misguided as hell from years with Trump, but not dumb in the least.

        • Rugger9 says:

          Still can the NY or CA AG horn in on this? While I understand the concept of Constitutional / federal supremacy, I can’t see how that could stop Becerra in CA from prosecuting for the payoff to Daniels here (and McDougall, etc.) since they already have the receipts and Cohen’s guilty plea.

          Or, does the DOJ think that being Corey’s squeeze was punishment enough?

        • bmaz says:

          Doubtful. They are federal campaign violations that underlay the crime. Not saying impossible, don’t know CA and NY campaign law that well, but I don’t think so.

        • Tom says:

          Reminds me of Kathleen Turner’s line to William Hurt in “Body Heat”: “You’re not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.” Easy to imagine Hope saying it to some of the flunkies around Trump.

      • Bay State Librul says:

        What’s the fucking mystery. It is a fucking wild-ass coverup by lawyers and the DOJ. Our legal system is in shreds

  9. Democritus says:

    Tom Winters on NBC spinning BS on Velshi and Ruhle explaining away the noncharges for everyone else in the campaign finance scheme like it’s no big deal. Such bs.

    Normalization of corruption. Why did Pecker get a NPA? They didn’t need him for Cohens plea?

    We need an actual liberal network for people who won’t read.

  12. AitchD says:

    Is there a kosher way for these now-unredacted criminal activities to be put on record at Mueller’s hearing?

    • Vicks says:

      Pretty clear message about loyalty eh?
      The “traitor” Cohen was punished and the liars rewarded.
      I was going to say it wasn’t a total success because this information was made public but in reality isn’t it just a way of making sure the world knows the situation has moved from accusing Trump of acting as if he is above the law, to acceptance that with his new sidekick Barr, Trump is no longer just acting?
      Hope Hicks and company took a leap of faith and were rewarded. Manafort and Flynn have a lot more on the line and I am sure they will find today reassuring.

      [You are using a different screen name. That is not allowed Vicks]

    • AndTheSlithyToves says:

      Thanks for this, Democritus! Wow! It is beastly hot here in DC today–heat index of 100-105 degrees. Bless these folks.

      • Tom says:

        One thing I hate about summer is (are?) the inevitable stories of kids and pets being left to broil in cars while their parents take “just a second” to go into a store for something.

  16. OldTulsaDude says:

    Perhaps the answer to why Pelosi cannot be swayed is because there is no longer a republic to be salvaged. Depressing.

    • Democritus says:

      Madame Speaker is Neville Chamberlain writ large.

      When there is a hard fight, the answer isn’t give up. It’s to up your game and fight back harder. She is a coward selling out our country.

      How much at risk is she?

  18. Mister Sterling says:

    Justice Democrats are vetting more than one person who could primary Pelosi. So she’s very at risk. One would hope that she doesn’t want another term anyway.

    • P J Evans says:

      She’s been primaried before. The bigger problem is that SF isn’t as liberal now as the media like to claim, and the techies would go for her seat from the right.

      • bmaz says:

        Currently it is Shahid Buttar. And he may attract some techies because he works with EFF.

        I would not bet much of my farm on Shahid winning. But, remember, he only has to come in second overall in primary season, which is more than possible, to get on the general election ballot under California’s new voting system. That is very possible. And Shahid has been a friend to this blog for a long time.

        • bmaz says:

          To say he is an incredibly good, and extremely accomplished, guy is an understatement. Marcy and I both met him in summer of 2011 in Minneapolis at Netroots Nation. He has been here several times since, and we always get together at least once, if not more, every time. He would make a fantastic representative. Hard to see the path to beating Pelosi, but he is worth the effort just to make her work and remember what she used to stand for.

  19. Jenny says:

    Thank you Rayne for the material. Depressing, yet revealing considering Cohen is holding the bag for Trump. Trump made the payments. There is a check as evidence.

    Am I missing something? Hicks and Trump should be in jail wearing orange jump suits plus the many others who lied and continue to lie.

    How is this case closed? This rewards bad and illegal behavior. Does this have Barr fingerprints all over it? UGH! I need a glass of wine and some chocolate.

    “Our system treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if your’re poor and innocent.”
    Bryan Stevenson, Ex Dir of Equal Justice Initiative

    • Rayne says:

      I think you mean thanks to bmaz. I guess he needed an author’s note at the beginning of his post, too. LOL

      Congress should vote to charge Hicks with criminal contempt. These guys aren’t going to cooperate if they are given any wiggle room.

  20. timbo says:

    Sort of OT. The whole scramble to make that payment to Daniels puts a big lie to the “He never wanted to be President in the first place” theory. And, yeah, Hicks should have zero basis to claim any sort of ability to not answer questions before House committees as to regard to her participation in this scheme. Where is the DP leadership here? Crickets?

    • Tom says:

      I’m one of those who are inclined to think that Trump would have been happier losing the election in 2016 and then been free to continue holding campaign style rallies where he could rail against “crooked Hillary” and the “rigged” election for months or years on end without having any responsibility for delivering on the promises he made to the American people (or to Vladimir Putin). I also admit, though, that Trump does seem to enjoy the role of President, at least parts of it.

      As for the payoffs, as shameless as Trump is he may have wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having the information on his affairs come out so soon after the Access Hollywood tape. It would be hard to maintain the fiction that he lost the election because it was “rigged” if the much more obvious reason was that the voters turned against him when they saw him exposed as a liar and a philanderer. And at that time–several years ago–we hadn’t become quite so benumbed by his outrageousness.

      • timbo says:

        Hmm. I think that Trump enjoys being in charge. Sadly, he is seeking to be in charge of whether or not he himself or his family is caught or not through the power of the Presidency.

  22. orionATL says:

    there are a lot of reasons trump, at the advise of political advisors, might try to focus on alexandria ocasio-cortez and her close female colleagues, including making them synonymous in some voters’ minds with democrats in general. in doing so he is doing with these women what republicans did with secretary clinton in 20i6 and with pelosi from 2017 to the present

    but i have to say that as i learn more about this business with Epstein of child sexual abuse, it fits entirely and comfortably within my view of donald j. trump’s extraordinarily amoral mind. i don’t really doubt at all that if it pleased him and he could, he would indulge himself without qualms. i suspect that in fact he did so and has something to hide.

    so i think it is possible that our president was trying to distract a bit from the Epstein issue. the problem for trump is that he is in big trouble with women voters anyway, in part for his sexual predation, philandering, and cruelty to children and families. Epstein seems unlikely to go away in a hurry; a persistent suspicion about trump may make this stain hard to remove.

    it is important to keep in mind that the mainstream media narrative routinely portrays trump as the clever showman and master of this or that political move and his democratic opponents as the deer in the headlights. this is just nonsense, but is potentially destructive nonsense if internalized by dem politicians or voters.

    • hester says:

      I wish I could believe you are correct. Last night’s rally in Nuremburg, oops Greenville, NC showed me that a sizable # of Americans love this man. I know, Greenville is Dump country, but the man got > 60 Million votes. His supporters will blame the women (Stormy, etc) and those same supporters don’t care about brown women and children. They don’t. There’s always an excuse. I don’t know what’s the matter with his supporters, but it’s terrifying to me.

      • orionATL says:

        i understand, but it is important not to be frightened by teevee images. they rarely represent political reality. in trump’s case the rallies are designed to do just that – convey an aura of invincible, powerful public support where it probably does not exist.

        there are 9.5 million citizens in n. carolina. 78% are 18 are older. that’s ~ 7.4 million voting citizens.

        the number of people at the rally in greenville at eastern carolina univ was estimated at 8,000 people. it was probably a noisy spectacle and spectacular scare’em teevee, but there is no reason to think it represented how people in n. carolina, of even Greenville, think. maybe . probably not. the population of the greenville metropolitan area is +175,000.

        you could probably easily get the bulk of those 8k supporters to show up just from a number of rightwing churches.

        in my view the proper individual citizen response to trump rallies is, “boo! to you too.” the group response must be making a loud public/media noise about what was said and done there. if one has the power, representative green for example, had the moral insight and took the right steps earlier in the week.

  23. CD54 says:

    What’s to stop the next Attorney General from charging all of these people in an overarching CONFRAUDUS or Obstruction Conspiracy (including pardons)?

    Would a pardon extend the statute of limitations for a CONFRAUDUS prosecution or will that effectively be precluded?

    • bmaz says:

      Going to take a flyer here, but Statute of Limitations is a good place to start. The general federal statute is five years from the date of the offense.

  24. Jenny says:

    Seth Abramson on Twitter speaks volumes:
    Of *course* Hicks perjured herself and/or lied to law enforcement.

    So did Prince. So did Don Jr. So did Corsi. So did⁠—for that matter⁠—Trump himself. But if *no one is prosecuting crimes at DOJ anymore*, what does it matter?

    You or I would be charged; these folks *won’t* be.

    And Ted Lieu
    Looks like Hope Hicks lied during Congressional investigation when we at @HouseJudiciary interviewed her. That’s two felonies: Perjury & Obstruction of Justice.

    Hicks consulted with lawyers throughout her interview. Did @TheJusticeDept or @WhiteHouse lawyers know she was lying?

    • bmaz says:

      He may be right here, but Abramson is a complete crackpot and a twatwaffle that really doesn’t have a clue.

      • Jenny says:

        Maybe a “crackpot” or a “twatwaffle” who doesn’t have a clue; however he makes a valid point about the inequality of justice.

        “As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” Nelson Mandela

        • bmaz says:

          If you think that assclown makes a “valid point”, I suggest you look for people that know their ass from a hole in the ground. Abramson does not.

  25. harpie says:

    I’ve been out most of the day…and then catching up, haven’t read any of the new docs, yet, but just saw this:
    https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1151973622719926273
    2:54 PM – 18 Jul 2019 [links to]:
    Prosecutors weighed DOJ policy blocking indictment of a sitting president in closing Trump hush-money probe
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/18/justice-department-weighed-rule-not-charging-president-ending-trump-hush-money-case/1769339001/

    Federal prosecutors’ decision to end an investigation into hush money payments to women claiming affairs with Donald Trump relied at least in part on long-standing Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. […]

    I wonder if there is any limit to how ANGRY I can become.

      • Democritus says:

        If you can read the thread from Soychicka that Marcy retweeted yesterday.

        It’s a theory about Epstein/Trump being part of the hush money pay off scheme, and that it is even plausible sickens me.

        People need to wake the fuck UP.

  26. harpie says:

    Rayne:
    https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1151981810173259778
    3:27 PM – 18 Jul 2019

    […] POLITICO reached out to all 27 Democrats who sided with Al Green on yesterday’s effort to debate articles of impeachment — but who hadn’t yet taken a public stand on an impeacment inquiry — and here’s what we found.
    There are 6 new Dems who say they’d support an inquiry if given a chance to vote: Reps. WELCH and LARSEN issued public statements. Reps. ROYBAL-ALLARD and PAYNE confirmed they’d back an inquiry. Reps. BASS and PALLONE said they would too. […] [link to Politico] […]

    • Rayne says:

      Thanks, harpie. These six get us to ~91 House Dems, I think. Wish instead of Green’s resolution that Tlaib’s resolution for an inquiry had been put up, would have gotten more support and flushed out a few more into the open.

  27. Eureka says:

    Trump’s lies today about trying to stop the chants by quickly overtalking them are bothersome, as we all saw him inhale them, linger in them, and turn his face to them like they were his sun, until the drug saturated his every pore. His claims were being replayed without correction at the time I saw them on MSNBC. So thank you once again, Daniel Dale (and Peter Baker who linked the video in his thread):

    Daniel Dale: “He went silent for more than 13 seconds to let the chants proceed, then kept attacking Omar without rejecting the chants in any way.”
    [https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1151899857675804672]

    Quoting:

    Peter Baker: “Trump asserts that he tried to stop the “send her back” chant: “I think I did — I started speaking very quickly.””
    [https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/status/1151898274715930624]

      • Eureka says:

        Thanks, Jenny! This will bring a tear to the eye of human and American pride at her beautiful welcome back home.

        ETA as to original comment: thank you Chris Hayes for the appropriate chyron: “Pres. Trump disavows ‘send her back’ chant, falsely claims he tried to stop it.”

        …not the first time that the prime-time chyrons are a step towards truth that failed for the evening ones…

        • Eureka says:

          …and it would have been better if written the opposite way, _leading_ with the direct truth. So maybe they can’t fit a whole “truth sandwich” (Lakoff) into a chyron, they can at least lay the first slice (and even omit or scarequote the obvious BS):

          “Pres. Trump falsely claims he tried to stop ‘send her back’ chants.[ full stop | or , …]”

        • Eureka says:

          Have to update this– by at least Lawrence’s show (per the rerun on now), they DID change it to “Trump falsely claims he discouraged ‘send her back’ chant”– Great! It’s always the nightshift that’s on the ball.

        • Tom says:

          What bothers me is why the reporter who asked Trump the question in the first place let him get away with lying that he tried to stop the chanting by resuming his speech “very quickly”. What’s wrong with saying, “No, Mr. President, that’s not what the video shows,” or “How do you explain, Mr. President, that the video shows you allowing the chanting to continue for some time until it died down on its own.” Of course, I realize that might be the last time that particular reporter ever gets a chance to ask Trump a question, but it would be so refreshing to see more journalists be even just a little more confrontational with the President, especially when he so blatantly lies (though I admit I haven’t comprehensively reviewed every interaction between Trump and reporters and I know there are some who are more forthright in their questioning).

        • Eureka says:

          Well Tom, the press pool had another couple cracks at it today and succeeded in producing another infomercial or two for Trump (with the help of broadcast media televising both WH spiels). It’s like no one is listening to us over here. :(

          …or to the gazillion others making similar points

        • Eureka says:

          Thank you, Jenny! Colbert is talented, and I am glad we still have him on air.

          Unfortunately I did see parts of Trump’s rally excerpted in the clip that I hadn’t seen before, like where he does some routine about his “friends” now choking in his presence. He makes choking gestures/noises and then says, “I can’t breathe,” which seems to me like he is making fun of Eric Garner. Maybe he does that routine all the time, but I can’t help but see it as related in any case (especially with the concurrent DOJ announcement re not pursing case). I’d need hard evidence that that is not some horrible clarion call to his worst followers.

        • Eureka says:

          …so that pretty much cut short my opportunity for LOLs this time around. However, I can report cackling loudly– you know when you laugh so much and loudly that you think the dog (or cat) should be reacting?– to the clip circulating last night of Dersh on Ingraham State TV talking about his sex life.

          That topic is no laughing matter, either, but humor is a funny bone.

          In re the shitshow:

          Andrew Lawrence: “Alan Dershowitz: I had a “perfect, perfect sex life during the relevant period of time” (clip)”
          [https://twitter.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1152048480594137090]

          Last I checked, Media Matters didn’t have a transcript for this one, they were so busy with the “send her back” attacks.

    • harpie says:

      Trump Tweets Today
      https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1152190436825604096
      5:16 AM – 19 Jul 2019

      1a] It is amazing how the Fake News Media became “crazed” over the chant “send her back” by a packed Arena (a record) crowd in the Great State of North Carolina, but is totally calm & accepting of the most vile and disgusting statements made by the three Radical Left Congresswomen…

      1b] ….Mainstream Media, which has lost all credibility, has either officially or unofficially become a part of the Radical Left Democrat Party. It is a sick partnership, so pathetic to watch! They even covered a tiny staged crowd as they greeted Foul Mouthed Omar in Minnesota, a…

      1c] ….State which I will win in #2020 because they can’t stand her and her hatred of our Country, and they appreciate all that I have done for them (opening up mining and MUCH more) which has led to the best employment & economic year in Minnesota’s long and beautiful history!

    • Eureka says:

      Super thoughtful rant on these issues that I cannot do justice to with a summary. Complexifies (simplifies, really) a lot of related issues, like how sports talk ESPN etc. only addresses cowardly sports angles since Jemele Hill spoke out, how this isn’t about “politics” but humanity, etc…:

      Seth Joyner: “Bravo Dan Le Batard, Bravo👏🏾👏🏾 Powerful and poignant commentary. This video is more than worthy of your time and attention! It speaks of past, present and future issues that effect us all! #SpeakOnIt”
      https://twitter.com/sethjoyner/status/1152225437302624256

      quoting:

      Erick Fernandez: “Stop what you’re doing and watch this. @LeBatardShow responds to the racist “Send her back” and “Go back to your country” attacks against Ilhan Omar and other congresswomen. “If you’re not calling it abhorrent, obviously racist, dangerous rhetoric, you’re complicit.” (embedded video)”
      https://twitter.com/ErickFernandez/status/1151943048101814273
      better quality a/v threaded immediately below

      • orionATL says:

        it’s time to bring back secretary clinton’s very prescient description of trump’s supporters:

        “…You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?” Clinton said. “The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic—you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”

        She said the other half of Trump’s supporters “feel that the government has let them down” and are “desperate for change.”

        “Those are people we have to understand and empathize with as well,” she said…”

        the transcript of the quote and the entire speech follow in this article:

        https://time.com/4486502/hillary-clinton-basket-of-deplorables-transcript/

        clinton was, of course, pilloried for saying this, but charlottesville and greenville and many other “-villes” on the road since have proved her right. so much so that what she said has become a staple of mainstream media “outrage”, keeping in mind that the media are corporations which are, for the most part, never truely outraged, just gauging their audiences and looking for clickbait.

      • Eureka says:

        I did enjoy the particular smile on his face when responding to Hayes’ Q that, yes, they are coordinating their time/questions for Mueller (they have a plan). Hope that bears out as well as he seems to be predicting.

        Nothing new on Hicks but for he’s not sure if her reply by Aug 15th will take place in writing or in person, if I heard correctly.

        Haven’t seen any clips out yet.

  29. dude says:

    I just wanted to say I am embarrassed for Greenville NC. I live here. Have for twelve years. Local TV and radio interviewed a number of attendees after the rally. These people said things like “He (Trump) stands up for all the little people..and its about time” and “The economy has turned around thanks to Trump (spoken by a realtor)” and “Veterans are finally getting the attention and service they deserve because of him”. The weakest endorsement I heard was from a teacher who lamented that she, as a teacher, felt bad about his language and example he set, (but) schools were under so much strain–so what can you do? (I wasn’t sure what she was trying to say. Too many immigrant kids?) I have lived in NC all my life. I have with and around people like this my entire life. The people attending the basketball arena at East Carolina University appear from the photos to have been predominantly white and generally middle class. Greenville proper is at least 40% Black. Eastern NC was for generations an agricultural region and Greenville was a tobacco warehousing and processing center; also cotton. East Carolina began as a teachers college in the 1920’s and eventually grew into a state university with a medical school spurring its growth from the late 1970s on.The biggest employers here are the University, the regional hospital, and Greenville utilities company. But the surrounding counties are poor with marginal services and industry compared to other parts of our state. There is still a lot of agriculture–some hog farms, some cotton still. I know the University community is divided about last night. I would guess a fair number of the faculty are incensed by Trump’s behavior, but an equal number of support staff who are not Black feel the same way as those interviewed. I work at the University. I did not hear a single word one way or the other all day among fellow workers about Trump, what he says or does. It was like he was never here, and yet I know the undercurrent, the waves are moving. Now we are known around the US for being a racist mob of a community. We are and we aren’t. I am embarrassed for us.

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