Trump seems to have brought on a new advisor, at least unofficially and he’s cutting his teeth on the issue of the Nunes Memo.
That unofficial advisor is Sean Hannity. The President has communicated with the FOX News host by phone regularly over the last few weeks according to three sources reported by The Daily Beast.
Hannity has been hyping this memo, penned by House Republicans and authorized by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, all week on his show.
Trump, who sources all his thoughts by sitting as close as humanly possible to the TV and trying to touch eyeballs with the image of Sean Hannity projected there in what he calls (this is all speculation) a “mind meld,” has gotten all amped up watching the Primetime host’s segments and the corresponding trending hashtag, #ReleasetheMemo.
Both Hannity, and now, Trump seem to thing that the Nunes memo provides conclusive evidence that the Russia Investigation is politically motivated, and that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is therefore compromised and unable to continue his work.
Sources familiar with the memo say that it purports to base this argument on the fact that the whole investigation is predicated on intelligence paid for by the Clinton campaign.
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It seems Hannity has a Rasputin-like hold over the President. Even as members of his own party and ranking FBI officials he appointed himself warn him against releasing the memo, Trump seems to think the release is a foregone conclusion. Not only that, but he seems convinced that the outcome of the move will be vindication for him and disgrace for the FBI, Mueller, and the Investigation.
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Sources inside the White House signaled that they worry the memo is built on shaky logic, and that ultimately, when released, will prove to be a dud.
But Trump can’t hear them over the sound of Hannity’s voice blasting from the TV he takes his burgers in front of, and the persistent ring of his phone with a direct line to the man himself.
Hannity faced criticism from another newsman on his own show, when he came face-to-face with Geraldo Rivera. The exchange got awkward.
“Nixon never would have been forced to resign if you existed in your current state back in 1972, ’73, ’74,” Rivera said.
“Geraldo, I was — I was literally 11 years old,” Hannity responded .
“I know, it’s too bad for — It’s too bad for Nixon, because nobody like you existed then. I say that because I believe that our prime responsibility now is to unshackle the 45th president of the United States,” Rivera concluded.
Seems like the writing’s on the wall: both Trump and his trusted TV advisor are beyond reproach in their own minds.