We begin today’s roundup with Adam Raymond at New York magazine and his roundup of GOP Senators dismissing the serious and credible allegations against Donald Trump regarding his possibly criminal activity:
On Friday, the Department of Justice called Donald Trump a felon. The extraordinary claim came in a sentencing memo about his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who helped Trump commit suspected campaign finance violations by paying off two women who claim to have had affairs with the now-president.
On Monday, Senate Republicans had their chance to weigh in on Friday’s bombshell. Would they condemn Trump, now an unindicted co-conspirator in Cohen’s crimes? Would they turn a critical eye toward his extramarital affairs? Or would they find a way to blame it on anyone but the president? Yeah, that’s the one.
At USA Today, president of the Constitution Society Caroline Fredrickson puts it all in perspective:
Let's all say it together: The president of the United States has been credibly accused of committing a felony. [...] We can now add this sordid episode to the list of alleged unethical and illegal activities on the part of the president, his associates and his campaign staff. The president may rant and rave on social media about witch hunts, but the charges are piling up and, apparently, so is the evidence. Prosecutors do not file charges like this unless they can back them up. [...]
The first two years of Trump's presidency saw a Republican-led Congress seemingly more interested in giving the president an out than holding him accountable. It's time for a change.