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By Robert A. Vella

There is one behavior (among many) Donald Trump has consistently shown when the heat from various investigations into his presidency and private life got too hot for him to take.  He always throws his closest associates under the bus in order to save himself.  Trump is nothing more than a raging megalomaniac without a shred of character, integrity, morality, or sophistication.  Like he did to Michael Cohen – his former personal lawyer and fix-it man who is rotting away in federal prison, he is doing now to Rudy Giuliani – his current “personal lawyer” and point-man in the Ukraine scandal who is under federal investigation for a bagful of potential criminal charges.

While Trump demands loyalty from everyone, he gives loyalty to no one.

However, Rudy said he has “insurance” to protect himself from Trump’s abandonment.  We’ll see.  Cohen came clean, but he went to jail anyway.  Petulant little Donny is still gorging on fast food in the White House.  Will this time be any different?

In impeachment news, more information has emerged further solidifying the case against Trump’s withholding of military aid to pressure the Ukrainian government into interfering in the upcoming U.S. presidential election on his behalf.

In other headlines, the anonymous White House insider author says he/she will directly confront Trump before the 2020 election, Giuliani is facing even more potential legal trouble for activities unrelated to Ukraine, a federal judge has issued yet another ruling against Trump’s anti-immigration policies, a lawsuit has been filed against the Trump administration for underfunding the U.S. census in order to undercount minority residents, and the United Nations has released a “bleak” report on impending climate change catastrophes.

Donny throws Rudy under the bus

From:  Under The Bus You Go, Rudy: Trump Claims He Didn’t Tell Giuliani To Go To Ukraine

It was only a matter of time.

During a radio interview with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on Tuesday, President Donald Trump attempted to distance himself from his personal lawyer’s efforts to dig up dirt on 2020 candidate Joe Biden in Ukraine.

“What was Rudy Giuliani doing in Ukraine on your behalf?” asked O’Reilly.

“Well, you have to ask that to Rudy,” Trump responded. “But Rudy…I don’t even know…I know he was going to go to Ukraine and I think he cancelled the trip.”

“But you know, Rudy has other clients other than me,” he continued. “I’m one person-”

O’Reilly cut him off: “So you didn’t direct him to go there on your behalf?”

“No,” Trump said.

From:  Giuliani admits he has ‘insurance’ should Trump turn on him

When asked [on Sunday] what he would do if Trump tries to throw him “under the bus” as it relates to Ukraine, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani was quoted as saying “Trump isn’t, but I have insurance.”

See also:  Trump distances himself from Giuliani’s Ukraine efforts

Impeachment news

From:  Trump administration officially put hold on Ukraine aid same day as Trump call

The Office of Management and Budget’s first official action to withhold $250 million in Pentagon aid to Ukraine came on the evening of July 25, the same day President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone, according to a House Budget Committee summary of the office’s documents.

That withholding letter, which was among documents provided to the committee, was signed by a career OMB official, the summary states. But the next month, OMB political appointee Michael Duffey signed letters taking over the decision to withhold both the Pentagon and State Department aid to Ukraine from the career official.

A hold was placed on the Ukraine aid at the beginning of July, and the agencies were notified at a July 18 meeting that it had been frozen at the direction of the White House, a week before the Trump-Zelensky call.

From:  Trump Knew of Whistle-Blower Complaint When He Released Aid to Ukraine

WASHINGTON — President Trump had already been briefed on a whistle-blower’s complaint about his dealings with Ukraine when he unfroze military aid for the country in September, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Lawyers from the White House counsel’s office told Mr. Trump in late August about the complaint, explaining that they were trying to determine whether they were legally required to give it to Congress, the people said.

The revelation could shed light on Mr. Trump’s thinking at two critical points under scrutiny by impeachment investigators: his decision in early September to release $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine and his denial to a key ambassador around the same time that there was a “quid pro quo” with Kyiv. Mr. Trump used the phrase before it had entered the public lexicon in the Ukraine affair.

From:  White House Budget Official Said 2 Aides Resigned Amid Ukraine Aid Freeze

WASHINGTON — Two officials at the White House budget office resigned this year partly because of their concerns about President Trump’s decision to hold up congressionally approved security assistance to Ukraine, a third aide at the office told impeachment investigators, revealing dissent within a key agency about Mr. Trump’s refusal to release the money.

Mark Sandy, an official at the White House Office of Management and Budget, told the House Intelligence Committee in a private interview this month that one of the officials “expressed some frustrations about not understanding the reason for the hold” before resigning in September.

A second co-worker, an official in the legal division of the office, also resigned after offering a “dissenting opinion” about whether it was legal to hold up the aid, Mr. Sandy testified, according to a transcript of his testimony released by the committee on Tuesday.

Other headlines

‘In my own name’: Anonymous author pledges to confront Trump before 2020 election

A wealthy Venezuelan hosted Giuliani as he pursued Ukraine campaign. Then Giuliani lobbied the Justice Department on his behalf.

Federal judge blocks administration from denying immigrants visas unless they can prove access to health insurance

Lawsuit claims U.S. starving 2020 census funding, may cause undercount

‘Bleak’ U.N. Report Finds World Heading to Climate Catastrophes

19 thoughts on “Donny throws Rudy under the bus, plus impeachment news and other headlines”

  2. Guiliani is no fool. After seeing what had happened to Cohen, he most likely has lots of telephone tapes and e-mail files as “insurance.”

    Excerpt from the article on the ‘Bleak’ UN Report:
    ~ Michael Lazarus, a lead author of the report and director of the Stockholm Environment Institute’s United States Center, noted that discussions on whether and how to curb the production of fossil fuels have been almost entirely absent from international climate talks.

    It’s distressing to observe that the fossil fuel industry controls the narrative of the future of human life on Planet Earth.

    Liked by 7 people

    • Very true. To those who are resisting climate change mitigation, I say that the clock is ticking. When time runs out, there will be no fossil fuel industry… no big Wall Street financiers… no Republican nor Democratic party… no United States of America… and the loss of a great many other things they are taking for granted.

      Liked by 5 people

  3. You’ve summed it up very well Robert. Unflinching, dying-to-last-breath, BLIND loyalty demanded, none given… ever. That explains perfectly why tons and tons of political partners are lining-up to serve under/with tRump! Hahahaha! 🤣 If you do line-up, throw all personal ambitions out the window—you’re expendable at any given moment—and any hope of advancing your career will always come laster than last to Boy-King Megalomaniac of the Orange Fools.

    Liked by 4 people

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