I don't get why Whitaker allowed all of this to happen today and why is Rosenstein still in charge?

[BigmanPigman]

Whitaker knew of this Cohen stuff last night. Wasn't he chosen to block all of this damage?

[SHRED]

1. He could be in awe

And has chosen to wake up and step aside.

If not then he could go down quickly.
Maybe he realized this.

[MaryMagdaline]

26. I think you nailed it

He is not a Washington insider. He is over his head.

[MLAA]

2. Does he have a couple more brain cells than we gave him credit for, and he is using them for

self preservation?

[SHRED]

4. That's what I think

He liked the chance at the label but knows he's in way over his head.
I'll bet he's not getting much cooperation from the intel community either.
I think he realizes this is an avalanche now and he best be doing some CYA.

[MLAA]

9. His job is to stay alive long enough to add Acting Attorney General to his resume

[Turbineguy]

35. Yes.

Maybe he's not as dumb as he looks.

[bitterross]

36. That makes a lot of sense. He worked for Sessions.

Sessions recused himself, I think, to keep his own ass out of trouble. Whitaker was his chief of staff for Sessions. He had to have been privy to lots of discussions and reasoning by Sessions.

There is also a good chance that he's seen the evidence Mueller has and is so overwhelmed by it he can't think of a way to shut it down without obstructing justice himself.

It's probably a combination of several things.

[triron]

38. Very reasonable to believe that.

[FSogol]

3. You are assuming he is compentent at his job. Whitaker is a noisy hack,

like all of the other Trumpy "best people."

Events are spiraling faster than he can consider.

It will be interesting to see if Trump starts attacking him in the media and via Twitter.

[SHRED]

6. That's an interesting angle also

That he's just that incompetent.

[FSogol]

8. People in the DOJ HAVE to be warning him of what will happen if he takes

some ham-fisted action.

[YessirAtsaFact]

27. He doesn't want to end up being an accomplice to obstruction of justice charges

There is nothing to prevent the indictment of an acting attorney general.

[triron]

39. yep

[UniteFightBack]

5. Maybe he doesn't want to get caught up in this bullshit, like obstructing justice. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

7. They may be saving Whitaker as a last resort

if some (hitherto still unknown) "line" gets crossed. Cohen is for some reason considered disposable.

[Loki Liesmith]

10. It's only required that he be informed of these status changes

Why do you think Trump freaked out last night?

[msongs]

11. because trump is out of the country lol nt

[GulfCoast66]

12. Seems odd. But maybe he is like the boy who cried wolf.

Ranted a bunch of BS on TV and sucked up like crazy.

But once appointed he looked at the evidence and realized he was in way over his head. Better to ride it out than end up either hated by all Americans, locked up for obstructing, or both.

[libdem4life]

17. Kind of like happened to Trump. Was just running for the contacts and money...not the job.

Surprise !!! He had it pretty good up until he decided to over-reach. Now, he and his deserving family may go down at least in infamy.

[GulfCoast66]

19. Kind of the same.

But I don’t think Whitaker is as stupid nor as crooked as Trump. Trump has a lifetime of crimes to hide. I think Whitaker does not want to start down that road. At least I hope.

[libdem4life]

22. I'd love to be a mouse inside the DOJ right now.

The jostling for power, inside info, boggles the mind. Whittaker is dumb as to the way national politics, IMO. Obviously he's got degrees and been a prosecutor or something like that. But this is playing with the Big Boys. That was actually a disservice Trump did to him...flatter his ego...give him the "job of a lifetime" way before he even knew what it was.

[elfin]

24. I think so as well. nt

[Hermit-The-Prog]

13. what are the odds somebody told him the facts of life

I would guess there was at least one meeting with Whitaker, shortly after being anointed by Crybaby Donnie, in which someone with actual competence in law explained to him the facts of life and his precarious position.

[Roland99]

14. HERE's why! Ah ha ha ha. Oh this is great, too!

Link to tweet

[Sprite]

15. Whitaker has no power.

He was never sworn in or confirmed by Congress. I think everyone st DOJ is just ignoring him. 😂

[marble falls]

16. He's got his own ball of trouble waiting to fall in them.

[woodsprite]

18. IMO, Whitaker is in line to get what he wanted - a promotion - and now intends to save his own ass.

Although he'd have his own problems if they tried to officially install him. If he went along with Trump and Co on this, he wouldn't have very long to control the DOJ and probably doesn't think he'd look very good in orange. Hopefully they're going down whether he obstructs or not. I don't think he's willing to go down with them.

[GulfCoast66]

20. And the Democrats taking the house helps.

He knows it is all coming out eventually.

[Jim__]

21. He may not have understood the implications of what was going to happen.

He's where he is because he's trump's lap dog. He's not necessarily the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[LuvLoogie]

23. Maybe he wants to finish putting his kids through college and enjoying being empty-nesters with his

wife. He's not related to trump. I can't see him risking jail and a ruined career for the likes of one DJT.

Just. Not. Worth. It.

[Hoyt]

32. Exactly. I think Mueller told him what he has, and Whitaker decided to stay out of

it to the extent he can, for the reasons you posted.

[grantcart]

25. A guess and only a guess

He is under an ethics review by the DOJ and they have told him he cannot involve himself with Mueller until it is done

[YessirAtsaFact]

28. This is very possible

It could be also be that the legality of his appointment is so uncertain that he doesn't want to do anything that might cause more lawsuits. Better to just be a figurehead and stay out of the way.

[dalton99a]

29. Whitaker is an opportunistic asshole. He knows which way the wind is blowing

[Wellstone ruled]

30. Okay

try Roy Clovis and his testimony to Congress,Whitaker and Clovis will share a cell.

[donco]

31. Maybe he

decided to keep his Law License.

[Docreed2003]

33. Whitaker was too busy chasing Sasquatch

[C_U_L8R]

34. Survival instinct.

Really, why would Whitaker risk everything for Trump? Sure his TV bloviating got him the AG gig... but it's a very different thing to be in a seat of accountability where a wrong action could be obstruction or conspiracy. I think Whitaker is just looking out for himself.

[Hekate]

37. He may have had a come-to-Jesus moment where his personal peril was explained to him by...

...the Ethics Office and by Mueller's people.

Like so many of Trump's "best people," he's a low-level con artist who's not nearly as clever as he thinks he is, and he is now in way over his head.

Just a speculation.