Did Trump Know About the Trump Tower Meeting in Advance? Of Course He Did — But a Story Saying So Is Being Retracted
About a month ago, I passed along a CNN story claiming that Michael Cohen had information that Donald Trump knew about the infamous Trump Tower meeting in advance. I included a note of caution in the post:
Cohen is hardly Mr. Credibility, and the “sources” relied upon say he doesn’t have evidence.
But, I stated (and still believe — see below) that of course Trump knew about the meeting in advance.
It’s now being reported that the source for the stories, Lanny Davis, is recanting:
CNN reported last month that Cohen was claiming to have witnessed Trump being informed of the Russians’ offer by Trump Jr. and that the then-candidate approved the meeting.
The following day, The Post reported that Cohen had told associates that he witnessed an exchange in which Trump Jr. told his father about an upcoming gathering in which he expected to get information about Clinton. The Post did not report that Trump Jr. told his father that the information was coming from Russians.
The information in the Post story, which was attributed to one person familiar with discussions among Cohen’s friends, came from Davis, who is now acknowledging his role on the record.
Davis said he should not have expressed such confidence in his information.
“I should have been more clear — including with you — that I could not independently confirm what happened,” Davis said, adding: “I regret my error.”
Having passed along the original story — even with the cautionary language — I think it’s incumbent on me to pass along this retraction.
That said:
Did Trump know about the meeting in advance?
Well of course he did.
You don’t need a questionable anonymously sourced news story to know that. All you need is your common sense.
[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]
Your daily reminder that stories based on anonymous sources are to be viewed very skeptically.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/26/2018 @ 4:54 pmI watched a youtube video of the recant/clarification and it sort of recants it, then, later on, says Cohen told him he was in a meeting with Jr. and/or Kushner, and/or Manafort, where they talked about talking with Trump about it beforehand. Which means, something, maybe, or not, and Cohen doesn’t have smoking gun evidence, other than his word, which isn’t very valuable overall.
But, yes, Trump knew before and was updated after, it’s patently obvious based on all his happy talk about coming evidence literally the day of the meeting. Cohen can tell everyone he wants about the details of Trumps (fill in the blank), but if there isn’t corroboration; a la Pecker, documents, recordings, Weiselberg (sp?), etc, it’s not going to matter.
Colonel Klink (335e06) — 8/26/2018 @ 5:24 pmLanny is conflicted because he blocked an extradition from Austria for firtash, along with Michael Chertoff, admiral Hayden business partner, and associate in the bot purge.
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 5:34 pmOf course there are developments with deripasha As well, it seems the little sparrow has gone back to the nest,
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 5:50 pmI wouldn’t be so sure that of course Trump knew about the meeting ahead of time, the list of things Trump doesn’t know is astoundingly encyclopedic.
Jerryskids (702a61) — 8/26/2018 @ 5:53 pmDoes anyone really believe anything Lanny Davis says? (Or Cohen, for that matter?) Davis is fouled by his Clinton attachments, along with his apparent connection(s) to Russian oligarchs, if this information is true. See here:
https://twitter.com/JordanSchachtel/status/1032367459439788040
ColoComment (58aadb) — 8/26/2018 @ 6:35 pmI would not be so sure, as obvious as it may seem.
kishnevi (ea0f8c) — 8/26/2018 @ 6:51 pmMore precisely, I think Davis thinks it will never be proven. Which is why he is willing now to appear to ne a shlub, and “correct” the record.
He’s been singing like a canary for what a month or two now and CNN has been an easy mark, among other outlets.
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 6:55 pmhttps://mobile.twitter.com/beyondreasdoubt/status/1033859354821312512/photo/2
harkin (c0421f) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:26 pmOf course he did.
Go Lanny, go Lanny!!! https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-22/cohen-lawyer-launches-500000-gofundme-campaign-expose-truth-about-trump
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:27 pmRetracted but still raises interesting questions…
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:29 pmThis is like Kramers the human fund, Natalias info was not new, that’s why manafort bailed after 10 minute, it wasn’t used since Putin repeated it two years later.
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:30 pmStelter is still standing by that story, but of course grey poupon.
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:32 pmSince meeting was not a crime who cares. This is what we care about cleaning the anti-trump free trade vermin out of republican party. Only 10% don’t supper trump. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Trump should form something similar to an all volunteer SA or SS to cleanse the media of vermin. Same with justice department. Like those at the bundy ranch.
wendell (6202ef) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:54 pmOf course veselnitskaya akhmetshin (who might be the actual.author of the dossier) samornov, st al wouldn’t have been there without lynchs special visa.
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 7:59 pmAn appeal to common sense. Didn’t see that coming.
Munroe (5a11f7) — 8/26/2018 @ 8:09 pmSure, but of course Trump’s attorney’s claims would also be unbelievable, as Emmet Flood was also Bill Clinton’s lawyer during the Whitewater/Lewinsky business, and his firm Hillary Clinton during the email business.
Unless it’s totally different since if this Clinton lawyer is representing Trump vs the other Clinton lawyer representing Cohen.
Colonel Klink (efee99) — 8/26/2018 @ 8:26 pmBecause the attorney for the Clintons, and deripashas and the post Bhutto junta wouldn’t lie, Mueller would catch him at it
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 8:44 pmAgain, Trump’s attorney IS a Clinton lawyer, now, like right this minute.
Colonel Klink (1ad597) — 8/26/2018 @ 8:48 pmIt would be surprising if Trump didn’t know about the meeting beforehand, but I’d like to see definitive proof. In any event, Trump blatantly lied afterward when he drafted that statement about the meeting, just like he’s blatantly lied about so many other things, so why is it that we should take his words at face value?
Paul Montagu (9dcfd2) — 8/26/2018 @ 8:52 pmAnd manaforts next judge represented William 500 k Jefferson, you see how that works. Yes Emmett flood replaced that fellow who was prince talals defense attorney. The fellow investigating Cohen used to work for Deutsche bank,
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 8:54 pmSo you’re saying that if Trump uses a Clinton attorney, it’s fine, because “muh trump is gooood!”.
Gotcha, just so you’re consistent in your pigheadedness.
Colonel Klink (6e7a1c) — 8/26/2018 @ 9:18 pmOne who also worked for w, to fight the last ridiculous snipe hunt launched by pat Fitzgerald, a charge in search of a crime
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 9:22 pmTrump’s supporters don’t give a tinker’s damn about the Trump Tower meeting, or any other phony accusations or manufactured outrages. They’re as insignificant as water off a duck’s back.
NeverTrumpers and two-faced Democrat hatemongers, and their media overlords, can keep on making idiot accusations till hell freezes over and Trump’s voters will still show up at the polls in overwhelming numbers to demonstrate that citizen voters are still the dominate force in American electoral politics. Not socialists, not illegal aliens, not media deceivers, and certainly not two-faced Democrat coruptocrats, liars, bloodsuckers, poverty pimps, and pretenders no matter how often or how loud they accuse and complain.
They have all forfeited any and every opportunity to be taken seriously. No intelligent individual cares what they have to say or how loudly they say it. Case closed.
ropelight (84b658) — 8/26/2018 @ 9:27 pm5 of the 10 wealthiest counties in the US are around Washington DC. What do they produce? What do they make?.
This is the Ruling Class and they have done very well for themselves, whatever their political party affiliation. They sell influence and they sell access.
Trump is an outsider, and they’ll be having none of that. What are we up to now for reasons this ruling class and their lapdog media claim are sufficient for impeachment… a half dozen?… a dozen? View every attempt at overthrowing the duly elected president with suspicion. Fvck these monkeys on parade in their kissers.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/26/2018 @ 9:41 pmIt’s not an accident, that max boot has taken up the roundhead standard.
Narciso (224a5a) — 8/26/2018 @ 9:45 pmTrump gets results.
You wankers just masturbate in circles.
Fred Z (05d938) — 8/26/2018 @ 9:49 pmWendell, you are hereby banned. Take your Nazism elsewhere.
Patterico (bcb9f3) — 8/26/2018 @ 10:29 pmDamn straight. https://static.pjmedia.com/instapundit/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-25-at-20.16.39-600×248.png
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 8/27/2018 @ 4:53 amthere was another psycho, who tried to take out scalise with explosives, from Chicago as well,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/27/2018 @ 5:20 amAre you missing something? I am going go rhrough the drive trough at wade though.
Steve57 (0b1dac) — 8/27/2018 @ 5:24 amthe landings shooter, apparently had an animus against trump supporters, why he would think a video game competition would have many of those,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/27/2018 @ 5:27 amThe Dems are not going to take the House. Trump primaried all the RINOs and his candidates are all going to win by landslides. The House will not only have a GOP majority, it will have a GOP super-majority.
nk (dbc370) — 8/27/2018 @ 5:51 amAll that does, nk, is speak badly of Illinois. The RINO survived, though by seat of pants, and there’s a lack of noticeable congressional races unless the ring around Chicago or Justus seat is in play?
urbanleftbehind (2b82d0) — 8/27/2018 @ 5:58 amBustos’ seat, I mean.
urbanleftbehind (2b82d0) — 8/27/2018 @ 5:59 amThe word “sarcasm” derives from the Greek sarkazein ‘tear flesh,’ in late Greek ‘gnash the teeth, speak bitterly’ (from sarx, sark- ‘flesh’).
nk (dbc370) — 8/27/2018 @ 6:08 amyes, granted but since they are expecting this earth shattering kaboom.
narciso (d1f714) — 8/27/2018 @ 6:09 amA generic video game, particularly for shooter games, convention would have, he must also have been asleep during the anthem battles, unless Madden has revered status. A lot of NFL patronage is now hate watching
urbanleftbehind (2b82d0) — 8/27/2018 @ 6:11 amI was speaking of 2006 electric boogaloo 2,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/27/2018 @ 6:12 amI kind of realized it afterwards, but my god, doesnt that make them sound like Hillaryites circa thanksgiving 2016? And worse, it may prove Kasich correct i.e. a larger share of a shrinking party.
urbanleftbehind (2b82d0) — 8/27/2018 @ 6:14 amthe establishment apparently, had a dispute with the city of Jacksonville over security matters,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/27/2018 @ 6:22 amPat, didn’t houy serve in the same officce that convicted Manson?
Steve57 (0b1dac) — 8/27/2018 @ 7:20 amDidn’t you serve. Sorry I suck at spelling.
Steve57 (0b1dac) — 8/27/2018 @ 7:21 amBlame automestaku, I do,
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/27/mexican-official-says-nafta-talks-with-us-have-concluded.html
Narciso (dca1bc) — 8/27/2018 @ 7:24 am39… sho’nuff, narciso?
Colonel Haiku (b35858) — 8/27/2018 @ 7:24 amCompared to other presidents, I would say compared to all other president, Trump definitely has gotten more results when it comes to cheating on his wives or being punked into paying blackmail money. Those go hand in hand, but Trump is also the champ at paying fraud settlements and filing bankruptcy too.
True. But I thought you guys cared about a balanced budget and repealing Obamacare. Trump’s going to have to accomplish something or all the ‘he gets results’ claims are embarrassing. And telling us you don’t care about something terrible doesn’t mean it’s now OK. It’s corrosive to our nation that our president is such a sleazeball towards his family and his promises.
Dustin (ba94b2) — 8/27/2018 @ 7:35 amOur possum Congress doesn’t seem interested perhaps under speaker jordan.
Narciso (dca1bc) — 8/27/2018 @ 7:38 amBut Dustin, football players hardly ever take a knee anymore. Next to that, Obamacare and the debt are minor.
Patterico (115b1f) — 8/27/2018 @ 7:54 amThe pow’s vote would have helped stop Obamacare. He must not have cared for his doc.
mg (74c937) — 8/27/2018 @ 8:06 amBut he’s “controlling the narrative” and “driving everyone crazy” and “making all the right people mad.” Back in the primaries, many Trumpistas thought those were excellent and sufficient reasons to give Trump the nomination.
But others did want more. They wanted Trump to “blow the whole thing up” and “burn the place to the ground.”
Radegunda (400d36) — 8/27/2018 @ 9:01 amThat would be me. Torch it like burning man.
mg (19b29c) — 8/27/2018 @ 10:30 amDespite the apparent contradictions, CNN stands by its story.
Allahpundit tries to make sense of it, without much success.
Dave (445e97) — 8/27/2018 @ 12:56 pmWhy don’t you start with your own home and lead by example, milligram?
Dave (445e97) — 8/27/2018 @ 12:58 pmmg, funny how the same people who chanted “burn the whole place down” then flipped around and complained that the place they wanted to burn down wasn’t solidly, uncritically supportive of the arsonist.
Radegunda (400d36) — 8/27/2018 @ 1:01 pmThe msm and the rinos gave us Trump, and I thank you davie boi.
mg (456edd) — 8/27/2018 @ 1:35 pmTrump is just the starter fluid, when all rinos are defeated the coals will be red hot and the hotdogs will be roasting.
mg (148243) — 8/27/2018 @ 1:51 pm56, – spoken like a true Trumpster nihilist.
Radegunda (400d36) — 8/27/2018 @ 2:30 pm57- how many millions will you clowns waste on a jebby type puppet in 2020?
mg (cc47eb) — 8/27/2018 @ 3:27 pmLol
Narciso, haven’t I warned you about getting your news from Cernovich and Gateway Pundit?
The guy they accused has posted that he is not the shooter.
You have been had.
Patterico (55b816) — 8/27/2018 @ 8:30 pmhttps://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1034263750147272704
Patterico (55b816) — 8/27/2018 @ 8:31 pmHave you forgotten already that Truth isn’t Truth in TrumpWorld?
Dave (445e97) — 8/27/2018 @ 8:42 pmThat is a sick burn. Oh hey what’s this?
Trump promised to repea ObamaCare about as often as Obama promised you could keep your doctor.
Patterico (b6df96) — 8/31/2018 @ 6:47 am