CNN reporting Trump inner circle "rattled" by raid on Manafort's home.

[kentuck]

No kidding!

It must have dawned on them that they may not be able to lie their way around this? If they went after Manafort, then no one else in the Trump inner circle is safe from FBI inspection.

No doubt, Manafort felt pretty secure that he could lie and bluff his way around the investigation, just as he has done for the last 30 or so years. One can imagine the surprise when early in the morning, someone knocked on his bedroom door and outside stood 12 FBI agents with flak jackets, just in case someone might open fire? "Let me call my lawyer" would have been one of his earliest thoughts.

How many in the White House started shredding documents? How much did Manafort know? How much did he tell the FBI?

Two of the most "rattled", besides Trump himself, were probably Jared Kushner and Don Jr? The idea that the same might happen to them?

With all the news in the last couple of days, Donald Trump must be feeling somewhat desperate today. He can become very unpredictable when he feels the pressure. He wants to strike back at someone - just as he tried to strike back at North Korea with his inflammatory comments. The Manafort raid and the continuing threat of Bob Mueller must be occupying his mind considerably?

[C_U_L8R]

1. They're just finding out now?

I don't think so. I'm sure a lot of evidence has already been torched.

[kentuck]

3. Except that someone else usually has copies...

..when there are financial transactions.

[C_U_L8R]

6. And the cloud.

Cloud never forgets.

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Got this right!!

Cloud never never ever forgets...never. Amazing to me how people don't really understand nature of digital communications...

[Ligyron]

10. and if they are caught destroying docs it's evidence of obstruction.

[elehhhhna]

34. Withholding subpoenaed documents is also obstruction

[PatSeg]

23. And this isn't the brightest group of people

The real life Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight. Most of them have gotten away with so much for so long, that they've gotten cocky and careless.

[iluvtennis]

25. You got that right. They've gotten away with corrupt/dirty dealing for so long, think they r

immune and above the law

[PatSeg]

35. Much like their fearless leader

who thinks laws are meant to circumvent and are really only for the little guy who can't afford high priced lawyers. It feels like the White House has been taken over by a criminal enterprise, but they are really amateurs.

[Still In Wisconsin]

36. Bingo. One of the biggest differences between this crew and GWB's cabinet

is that Bush's people were competent.

[PatSeg]

38. Yes

Even the evil ones. Most of them had experience related to their positions. There were a few exceptions like Michael Brown, but for the most part they were competent.

[DarleenMB]

26. Yes. We ALL just found out.

Doesn't mean the shredders weren't already working overtime.

[Vinca]

2. Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together should get the hell out of that White House.

You might end up not being implicated in anything, but you'll definitely end up with a huge legal bill if you stay.

[kentuck]

5. We may see the rats jumping ship soon...?

When Trump gives them an order and they cannot follow through. (Such as, "Fire Mueller!" )

[Not Ruth]

4. There is no more lucrative time in US history to be a white collar crime lawyer

Big Law will have a Big Year

[Achilleaze]

7. republican TreasonWeasels need a good rattling

to make them cease their betrayal of the USA

[Amishman]

32. I wonder if this is moving too fast

I mean let's say best case Trump and Pence are gone in 6 months. Ryan assumes the presidency and the Republicans still have almost a year to spin and try and pass feel good legislation.

[Girard442]

8. A good time to upgrade the sprinkler system in the Reichstag.

[get the red out]

9. They can run but they can't hide

It is hard to truly delete something so that a computer expert can't find it. There might be some smashed hard drives showing up in the White House trash.

[Not Ruth]

13. That is semi untrue

The San Bernadino killers used iPhones, and forensics got really, really lucky that it was an older model that could be hacked. It cost about $1m to hack it though. I would keep everything on the iPhone.

[Maggiemayhem]

17. Or the Potomac River

[pangaia]

40. I'll bet Lisbeth Salander is on the case.

[gordianot]

12. Trump has good reason to blow as much as he can to hell.

Government bunkers are probably decent.

[malaise]

14. It's way too delish

I'm lovin' it.

[Javaman]

15. if this rattles them, then they were under the very false belief that

they weren't also under investigation.

must be nice living in the moron bubble.

[Johnny2X2X]

16. Leverage

This is a group of common thugs and criminals. They keep info to use it as leverage, I think people are going to be shocked at how much proof is found. People like Manafort keep data around because they use it to black male people, they also use it to offer to law enforcement when they get caught.

So don't be so quick to assume that all of these sociopaths shredded evidence at the first sign of law enforcement, they probably kept a ton. And it seems this group thought that having Trump in power would make them immune, so they likely saved even more evidence. These are not normal criminals, these are the types of criminals that deal with the Russian Mob.

[BigmanPigman]

21. You are spot on!

[Johnny2X2X]

27. And their partners in crime don't care

And let's not forget, the Russians don't really care if they get caught, they are not subject to our laws. When you go into crime with a partner who has nothing to lose and you have everything to lose, it's not going to work out well for you. So the Russians probably were't hiding much of anything and probably were talking openly about all of it, why wouldn't they?

[pangaia]

41. Except for the black male part.

[L. Coyote]

18. A judge ruled there is sufficient evidence of criminal conduct.

They knew all about the criminal conduct, they are rattled that the evidence is in the hands of the investigators.

[R B Garr]

19. This is a definite sign that the investigation is

going all the way. It was a show of force and of confidence.

[NewJeffCT]

20. curious that the National Enquirer

released a big sex scandal story about Manafort today...

I heard a guy named John Miller had revealed the info to the paper.

[BigmanPigman]

22. There was speculation on the news that the fake prez told

his pals to print this story to either attempt to discredit Manafort in the public eye or send a message/threat to "keep your mouth shut or I'll really screw you".

[wishstar]

24. To keep base believing Trump/Russia collusion is fake media hoax, they have to change subject

The raid makes it impossible for Trump & Co. to deny Manafort is in serious legal trouble, but they don't want Trumpers to believe it might involve Manafort's millions in payments in return for advancing Putin's agenda. Got to keep the delusion going with base.

Earlier this year, Nat. Enquirer already made Flynn the sole scapegoat for the Trump Russia story, so this seriously compromises that simplistic narrative.

But at same time, since Manafort has had apt in Trump Tower for years and any visiting Manafort guests would have been seen going in and out, makes sense that the allegations are also meant to intimidate Manafort.

[Not Ruth]

28. I do not care who you are

You do not want the FBI to raid your crib. That is gangsta.

[Chakaconcarne]

29. Hopefully they have everyone under surveillance....

If I were Kushner or Jr, I would be breaking out the shredders.

[Eyeball_Kid]

31. Kushner and Junior won't get a break if they break out the shredders.

The feds already know and already have evidence through FISA warrants and surveillance from several months back. Besides, any destruction of evidence will bring additional obstruction charges. That would be a bad choice. Trumpy's inner circle were told long ago to preserve records. That order wasn't made in jest.

[elehhhhna]

37. I'm watching for people to vacation and then stay in the UAE like Eric Prince did when things got

hot for his merc co....


or any other country that has no extradition agreement with the US. Perhaps moving to The Ecuadorian embassy lol.

[Eyeball_Kid]

30. There's not much that the FBI already doesn't know.

Manafort's personal cell phone was "hot miked" for over a year by the feds. They know that Manafort moved his incriminating documents out of his personal home and into a storage facility in Florida. They also know that they do NOT need Manafort's confession in order to prosecute, even though Manafort has persisted in offering to flip. Paulie Walnuts doesn't have the leverage to save his ass from jail.

[elehhhhna]

33. Rattled: code for poop your pants

[Blue Owl]

39. Donny Two Poops