President Donald Trump on Saturday kicked off the second day of his weekend en route to his Palm Beach golf course and on the way, launched a Twitter attack against a storied New York Times reporter in an attempt to defend his personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
Trump has spent the entire week at Mar-a-Lago and five hours on the golf course on Friday – his third or fourth day golfing this week –and had no events scheduled yesterday, except for an early evening fundraiser.
But the president’s attempt to defend Cohen was nothing short of a somewhat incoherent word salad that appears to be based on the belief that the media – not a judge or the judicial system – decides guilt or innocence.
“The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Habberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I don’t speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will ‘flip,'” Trump said in the first of a series of tweets.
That New York Times reporter is Maggie Haberman, with one “b.” She’s been a political reporter for over two decades, and just won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on Trump. Trump has personally spoken with her possibly more than any other reporter. He also granted a rare sit-down interview with Haberman one year ago this month, and another in the Oval Office last July.
The only ones who will be getting Michael Cohen to “flip” are federal law enforcement agents. Reporters report facts.
“They use non-existent ‘sources’ and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family. Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected,” he continued. “Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!”
So, Michael Cohen is “a fine person” but is in “trouble”? Is Trump admitting Cohen committed illegal acts?
And why does the president seem to think the media controls the FBI?
Why attack a reporter and not law enforcement agents if Cohen is going to flip?
These are the words of someone who believes everyone is against him, and all threats are equal.
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti posted this photo of Trump with Haberman:
UPDATE:
Trump has corrected his original tweet in which he misspelled Maggie Haberman’s name.