Kelly and Trump met in the WH residence last night to hash out his departure, which was supposed to be announced by him on Monday at senior staff meeting. Instead, Trump told reporters on the WH south lawn today. https://t.co/cAfreVtaSJ

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 8, 2018

Some news: Beto O'Rourke and Rev. Al Sharpton spoke late last week, a key milepost for anyone considering a run in the 2020 primary. https://t.co/OlSPcxAE4j

— Darren Sands (@darrensands) December 10, 2018

Mnuchin has been mentioned by Kushner and Ivanka Trump as a potential pick over several months. https://t.co/95J85hcrDE

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 10, 2018

From pinnacle to punchline: How Trump diminished the job of his chief of staff, w/ ⁦@politicoalex⁩. Those like Nick Ayers, who want a future in GOP politics, are begging off — https://t.co/RjUOtNSsom

— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) December 10, 2018

"One former senior administration official called it a humiliation for Mr. Trump and his adult children, an emotion that the president tries to avoid at all costs." https://t.co/79ySSw3Pl5 via @maggieNYT https://t.co/C0tiHl7fkc

— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) December 10, 2018

Trump will find someone else besides Ayers, and has options of people who would take it, but he hasn't been leaning toward those folks. He usually has a few fires burning on personnel, but hasn't on this one. It was Ayers or nothing.

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 9, 2018

Butina's filing indicates a plea deal:

“The Defendant Maria Butina, by counsel, and the government … respectifully file this joint motion to set a change of plea hearing in the above-captioned matter and request a hearing at the Court’s earliest convenience.”

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) December 10, 2018

lol https://t.co/Q49IC0XCp3 via @TPM

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 10, 2018

In Richly Trumpian Fashion, Nick Ayers Humiliated Trump So He Could Make Tens of Millions on Trump's Name https://t.co/S2KAQx8DDi via @TPM

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 10, 2018

Is it just me, or does anyone else suspect Trump might phase out the position of Chief of Staff altogether?

4 minutes ago, Khan said:

Is it just me, or does anyone else suspect Trump might phase out the position of Chief of Staff altogether?

 

I think it will just become a figurehead role or a role for someone he wants to humiliate. 

 

I wonder if Ayers cutting and running that way means Pence may start getting further phased out. 

Let's be honest: Trump has probably forgotten who Pence is or what he does for a living.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/10/supreme-court-planned-parenthood-defunding-case-845056

 

 

Chief Justice John Roberts and the newest justice, Brett Kavanaugh, joined the court's four liberal jurists in turning away a pair of petitions from Kansas and Louisiana seeking the ban on abortion providers.

 

To all those who drove many believers away for good and did horrific damage to their cause in the long-term for the sake of short-term wins they didn't even get, all I can say is:

 

 

As the exasperating Maggie Haberman correctly indicates, Trump doesn't want a CoS, which is just another indicator of how colossally stupid he is. He sees the position as one for people who try to tell him what to do.

 

Trump has allegedly begun asking people about their opinions of Pence recently. That is usually his lead-in to freezing them out, demeaning them and trying to force them to leave (because he can't stand direct confrontation). Good luck, pal.

 

 

The UK can unilaterally revoke its withdrawal from the EU, the European Court of Justice has ruled https://t.co/pBq9QmWr5r

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) December 10, 2018

1 hour ago, Khan said:

Is it just me, or does anyone else suspect Trump might phase out the position of Chief of Staff altogether?

in his arrogance he will be his own COS.

Has there ever been an administration that has this many lawsuits connected with it, either directly or tangentially? The number of lawsuits is staggering.

 

CREW is suing the FBI for documents related to the reported investigation into agency leaks to Rudy Giuliani of James Comey's plan to reopen the Clinton investigation. https://t.co/VybDjzOIc4

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 10, 2018

1 hour ago, Khan said:

Is it just me, or does anyone else suspect Trump might phase out the position of Chief of Staff altogether?

 

I think he'll just give it to Ivanka or Jared.

Top Democrats say Trump may face impeachment, jail over hush money https://t.co/TIp7mVngtK

— Amanda Becker (@AmandaBecker) December 10, 2018

BREAKING via @PostRoz @hsu_spencer: Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina poised to plead guilty in case involving Kremlin attempts to influence NRA https://t.co/JaaJgrJDHh

— Matea Gold (@mateagold) December 10, 2018

One would think that these forthcoming allegations of fraud against some executives at Bloomberg will have a negative impact on Michael's presidential prospects?  Then again...Trump, so...

1 hour ago, DramatistDreamer said:

One would think that these forthcoming allegations of fraud against some executives at Bloomberg will have a negative impact on Michael's presidential prospects?  Then again...Trump, so...

Hopefully, the people who say that Democrats won't make the same mistakes as Republicans when it comes to picking leaders are correct.

1 hour ago, Juliajms said:

Hopefully, the people who say that Democrats won't make the same mistakes as Republicans when it comes to picking leaders are correct.

 

I hope so but people are often blinded by money.  Money not only got Bloomberg a first term as mayor of NYC, it got him that 3rd term, which most will agree, was regrettable.

 

 

 

 

In a pay-to-play scheme, investigators say, subcontractors and vendors are accused of paying bribes and kickbacks to executives at Bloomberg and Turner Construction. They would then pad the bills for work, raising the cost by millions of dollars. https://t.co/lZBlGx6n75

— NYT Metro (@NYTMetro) December 10, 2018

YouTube's biggest star promoted another channel that hosts anti-Semitic contenthttps://t.co/LrlSd1GgyH

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) December 10, 2018

They took notes. On a criminal [!@#$%^&*] conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/D15ClXy14I

— Driftless Thinking (@MNdriftless) December 10, 2018

Hatch added this when asked if he was concerned about allegations.
“No because I don’t think he was involved in crimes but even then, you know, you can make anything a crime under the current laws; if you want to you can blow it way out of proportion you can do a lot of things.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2018

Grassley, the Senate Judiciary chairman, similarly dismisses the federal prosecutors’ argument: “They based it on what a liar says, so it hurts the credibility of it.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2018

lol "Multiple sources telling CNN Mr. Trump is angry and feels humiliated after he was turned down" pic.twitter.com/oXcOfFv1co

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 10, 2018

It sounds like this guy meant business. Thank goodness he was stopped.

 

2 hours ago, DramatistDreamer said:

 

I hope so but people are often blinded by money.  Money not only got Bloomberg a first term as mayor of NYC, it got him that 3rd term, which most will agree, was regrettable.

 

 

Isn't that the truth.  It stuns me how biased even ordinary people are in favor of those who have money.