Mika Scarborough talks about the reactions of prominent Republican senators to information disclosed in Michael Cohen's sentencing memo.
"Some top Republicans are dismissing the allegations that Donald Trump directed his former fixer, Michael Cohen, to make illegal hush money payments to two women during the 2016 campaign," she said.
When asked if he had any concerns, Sen. Orrin Hatch told CNN, "The Democrats will do anything to hurt this president." When he was told the allegations came from the Southern District of New York, Hatch said, "Okay, but I don't care. All I can say is, he's doing a good job as president."
Hatch was asked whether he was concerned about the allegations and Hatch said no. "But I don't think he was involved in crimes because even then, you can make anything into a crime under the current..." These people are turning into Trump. You can blow it out of proportion. You can do a lot of things.
"Louisiana Senator John Kennedy told NBC News, "Let me say this before Mr. Cohen. Jesus loves him, but everyone else thinks he's an idiot. I think most Americans think he's a sleazoid grifter. I can't imagine anyone basing any kind of prosecution on the word of Mr. Cohen." Chuck Grassley dismissed the allegations, saying "they based it on what the liar says." That liar was employed as a close fixer for the president for more than a decade, but okay.
"And here is how House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy responded to Congressman Adam Schiff's assertion that Donald Trump could face real jail time for making illegal payoffs during the presidential campaign.
" 'The president hires an attorney to solve a problem, he expects him to do it in a legal manner. I don't see -- and if Schiff is taking this beyond, to go forward and say there's a impeachable offense because of a campaign finance problem, there's a lot of members in Congress who'd have to leave for that same thing."
Oy. I can't tell if this is willful denial, or whether they believe the Cohen allegations are as far as it goes. Seems unlikely that they don't know the things that came up in the Senate intelligence committee, so these statements are basically Republicans postponing reality.
Reality is, the Cohen memo was only an "amuse-bouche," a one-bite appetizer made by master chefs that sets the tone for the rest of the meal. Chef Mueller is in the kitchen, and he's building up to the main course.
How people like Grassley and Kennedy think they're going to ride this out is beyond me.
