For more than a week, a plain-spoken former federal prosecutor named Sidney Powell made the rounds on right-wing talk radio and cable news, facing little pushback as she laid out a conspiracy theory that Venezuela, Cuba and other “communist” interests had used a secret algorithm to hack into voting machines and steal millions of votes from President &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

She spoke mostly uninterrupted for nearly 20 minutes Monday on the “Rush Limbaugh Show,” the No. 1 program on talk radio. Hosts like Mark Levin, who has the fourth-largest talk radio audience, and Lou Dobbs of Fox Business praised her patriotism and courage.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/multiple-blows-narrow-donald-trumps-options-to-retain-presidency-344474" hreflang="en">Multiple blows narrow Donald Trump's options to retain presidency</a>

So it came as most unwelcome news to the president’s defenders when Tucker Carlson, host of an 8 p.m. Fox News show and a confidant of Trump, dissected Powell’s claims as unreliable and unproven.

“What Powell was describing would amount to the single greatest crime in American history,” Carlson said Thursday night, his voice ringing with incredulity in a 10-minute monologue at the top of his show. “Millions of votes stolen in a day. Democracy destroyed. The end of our centuries-old system of government.” But, he said, when he invited Powell on his show to share her evidence, she became “angry and told us to stop contacting her.”

The response was immediate, and hostile. The president’s allies in conservative media and their legions of devoted Trump fans quickly closed ranks behind Powell and her case on behalf of the president, accusing the Fox host of betrayal.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/youre-fired-twitter-to-hand-over-potus-account-to-biden-whether-trump-concedes-or-not-344466" hreflang="en">Twitter to hand over POTUS account to Biden, whether Trump concedes or not</a>

“How quickly we turn on our own,” said Bo Snerdley, Limbaugh’s producer, in a Twitter post that was indicative of the backlash against Carlson. “Where is the ‘evidence’ the election was fair?”

The backlash against Carlson and Fox for daring to exert even a moment of independence underscores how little willingness exists among Republicans to challenge the president and his false narrative about the election he insists was stolen. Among conservative media voices and outlets, there’s generally not just a lack of willingness — they have proved this month to be Trump’s most reflexive defenders.

For months before the election, as Trump spread disinformation about the reliability of mail-in ballots, Republicans largely avoided contradicting him and insisted that his concerns about fraud were not entirely unreasonable. And in the weeks since election night, when Trump falsely declared himself the winner and then refused to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, the acknowledgments that the race is settled have come mostly from former officials like President George W. Bush or from a few current officeholders, like Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who have not been afraid to air their differences with Trump.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-be-embarrassing-czech-president-asks-donald-trump-to-step-down-344233" hreflang="en">'Don't be embarrassing': Czech President asks Donald Trump to step down</a>

The same fear that grips elected Republicans — getting on the wrong side of voters who adore Trump but have little affection for the Republican Party — has kept conservative media largely in line. And that has created a right-wing media bubble that has grown increasingly disconnected from the most basic facts about U.S. government in recent weeks, including who will be inaugurated as president Jan. 20.

In the hours after Carlson’s monologue, word of which spread quickly across social media, Trump’s supporters went after not only Carlson but also Fox News. The network has become a source of particular frustration with many on the right after taking a more skeptical view of Trump’s claims about voter fraud and refusing to reconsider its call on election night that Biden would win Arizona.

That decision, which proved correct, deeply angered the president and led him to start promoting some of Fox’s smaller competitors on cable like Newsmax and One America News Network as more suitable alternatives for his large and loyal following.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-elections-results-2020-joe-biden-wins-georgia-after-recount-says-state-election-official-344393" hreflang="en">US elections results 2020: Joe Biden wins Georgia after recount, says state election official</a>

Roosh Valizadeh, a writer and podcast host who supports the president, summed up the anger aimed at Fox by many on the right, saying, “As long as Tucker Carlson works for Fox News, he can’t be fully trusted.”

All week on networks like Newsmax and OANN and talk radio programs, the president’s supporters have been given a steady diet of interviews with Trump allies, campaign officials and news stories that promote allegations of fraud with little or no context.

One lawyer who is assisting the Trump campaign in its efforts, Lin Wood, went unquestioned this week on Levin’s show when he made the fantastical claim that Trump had won the election with 70% of the vote. A story that OANN broadcast Friday afternoon falsely declared, “The state of Michigan is back in play,” giving credence to Trump’s extraordinary but almost certainly unsuccessful efforts to delay certification of the vote in Detroit.

Republican officials have remained mostly measured and muted in their response, even after the conspiratorial and unsubstantiated claims floated by Powell, Rudy Giuliani and other members of Trump’s legal team at a news conference Thursday. Republicans like Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who said that Powell’s accusations were “absolutely outrageous,” were the exception.

Rich Lowry, the editor of National Review and sometimes critic of the president who called his refusal to concede “absurd and sophomoric,” said that whether it was a Republican politician or a talk-show host, breaking the will that many Trump supporters have to believe he is the rightful winner was extremely difficult.

“They want it to be true,” Lowry said. “On top of that, there’s an enormous credibility gap and radical distrust of other sources of information. And that’s compounded by the fact that the president has no standards and is surrounded by these clownish people who will say anything. It’s a toxic stew.”

Carlson, no doubt aware that many in his audience, including possibly the president himself, would not like what they were hearing, walked a fine line Thursday night. He insisted that he and his producers “took Sidney Powell seriously.”

He also tried to reassure members of his audience that he was on their side after all, explaining how he always kept an open mind about alleged cover-ups like the one Powell has promoted. “We don’t dismiss anything,” he said. “We literally do UFO segments.”

For more than a week, a plain-spoken former federal prosecutor named Sidney Powell made the rounds on right-wing talk radio and cable news, facing little pushback as she laid out a conspiracy theory that Venezuela, Cuba and other “communist” interests had used a secret algorithm to hack into voting machines and steal millions of votes from President Donald Trump.

For more than a week, a plain-spoken former federal prosecutor named Sidney Powell made the rounds on right-wing talk radio and cable news, facing little pushback as she laid out a conspiracy theory that Venezuela, Cuba and other “communist” interests had used a secret algorithm to hack into voting machines and steal millions of votes from President Donald Trump. She spoke mostly uninterrupted for nearly 20 minutes Monday on the “Rush Limbaugh Show,” the No. 1 program on talk radio. Hosts like Mark Levin, who has the fourth-largest talk radio audience, and Lou Dobbs of Fox Business praised her patriotism and courage. Also read| Multiple blows narrow Donald Trump's options to retain presidency So it came as most unwelcome news to the president’s defenders when Tucker Carlson, host of an 8 p.m. Fox News show and a confidant of Trump, dissected Powell’s claims as unreliable and unproven. “What Powell was describing would amount to the single greatest crime in American history,” Carlson said Thursday night, his voice ringing with incredulity in a 10-minute monologue at the top of his show. “Millions of votes stolen in a day. Democracy destroyed. The end of our centuries-old system of government.” But, he said, when he invited Powell on his show to share her evidence, she became “angry and told us to stop contacting her.” The response was immediate, and hostile. The president’s allies in conservative media and their legions of devoted Trump fans quickly closed ranks behind Powell and her case on behalf of the president, accusing the Fox host of betrayal. Also read| Twitter to hand over POTUS account to Biden, whether Trump concedes or not “How quickly we turn on our own,” said Bo Snerdley, Limbaugh’s producer, in a Twitter post that was indicative of the backlash against Carlson. “Where is the ‘evidence’ the election was fair?” The backlash against Carlson and Fox for daring to exert even a moment of independence underscores how little willingness exists among Republicans to challenge the president and his false narrative about the election he insists was stolen. Among conservative media voices and outlets, there’s generally not just a lack of willingness — they have proved this month to be Trump’s most reflexive defenders. For months before the election, as Trump spread disinformation about the reliability of mail-in ballots, Republicans largely avoided contradicting him and insisted that his concerns about fraud were not entirely unreasonable. And in the weeks since election night, when Trump falsely declared himself the winner and then refused to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, the acknowledgments that the race is settled have come mostly from former officials like President George W. Bush or from a few current officeholders, like Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who have not been afraid to air their differences with Trump. Also read| 'Don't be embarrassing': Czech President asks Donald Trump to step down The same fear that grips elected Republicans — getting on the wrong side of voters who adore Trump but have little affection for the Republican Party — has kept conservative media largely in line. And that has created a right-wing media bubble that has grown increasingly disconnected from the most basic facts about U.S. government in recent weeks, including who will be inaugurated as president Jan. 20. In the hours after Carlson’s monologue, word of which spread quickly across social media, Trump’s supporters went after not only Carlson but also Fox News. The network has become a source of particular frustration with many on the right after taking a more skeptical view of Trump’s claims about voter fraud and refusing to reconsider its call on election night that Biden would win Arizona. That decision, which proved correct, deeply angered the president and led him to start promoting some of Fox’s smaller competitors on cable like Newsmax and One America News Network as more suitable alternatives for his large and loyal following. Also read| US elections results 2020: Joe Biden wins Georgia after recount, says state election official Roosh Valizadeh, a writer and podcast host who supports the president, summed up the anger aimed at Fox by many on the right, saying, “As long as Tucker Carlson works for Fox News, he can’t be fully trusted.” All week on networks like Newsmax and OANN and talk radio programs, the president’s supporters have been given a steady diet of interviews with Trump allies, campaign officials and news stories that promote allegations of fraud with little or no context. One lawyer who is assisting the Trump campaign in its efforts, Lin Wood, went unquestioned this week on Levin’s show when he made the fantastical claim that Trump had won the election with 70% of the vote. A story that OANN broadcast Friday afternoon falsely declared, “The state of Michigan is back in play,” giving credence to Trump’s extraordinary but almost certainly unsuccessful efforts to delay certification of the vote in Detroit. Republican officials have remained mostly measured and muted in their response, even after the conspiratorial and unsubstantiated claims floated by Powell, Rudy Giuliani and other members of Trump’s legal team at a news conference Thursday. Republicans like Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who said that Powell’s accusations were “absolutely outrageous,” were the exception. Rich Lowry, the editor of National Review and sometimes critic of the president who called his refusal to concede “absurd and sophomoric,” said that whether it was a Republican politician or a talk-show host, breaking the will that many Trump supporters have to believe he is the rightful winner was extremely difficult. “They want it to be true,” Lowry said. “On top of that, there’s an enormous credibility gap and radical distrust of other sources of information. And that’s compounded by the fact that the president has no standards and is surrounded by these clownish people who will say anything. It’s a toxic stew.” Carlson, no doubt aware that many in his audience, including possibly the president himself, would not like what they were hearing, walked a fine line Thursday night. He insisted that he and his producers “took Sidney Powell seriously.” He also tried to reassure members of his audience that he was on their side after all, explaining how he always kept an open mind about alleged cover-ups like the one Powell has promoted. “We don’t dismiss anything,” he said. “We literally do UFO segments.”

Tucker Carlson dared question a Trump lawyer. The backlash was quick.

Donald Trump’s legal point man Rudy Giuliani gave a news conference to talk about the status of Trump's loss in US elections, but all people could focus on was the fact that his profuse sweating was causing his hair dye to run down his face.

Streaks of what appeared to be the former New York City mayor's hair dye or makeup ran down the side of his face, amusing social media users.

This incident sparked a wave of memes across social media platforms.

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I see Rudy Giuliani is having a meltdown. Literally.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurrenderDorothy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SurrenderDorothy</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZtYMtIyBIX">pic.twitter.com/ZtYMtIyBIX</a>
— Richard Littler (@richard_littler) <a href="https://twitter.com/richard_littler/status/1329495878273556488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Ask yourself have ever seen Rudy Giuliani and the Baron Harkonnen in the same room? 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/wgKGYUK672">pic.twitter.com/wgKGYUK672</a>
— druidic antifa-pope (@liamtoomster) <a href="https://twitter.com/liamtoomster/status/1329502681501601793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Apart from this makeup malfunction, Giuliani and his legal team alleged they have evidence of mass, coordinated voter fraud, is that despite such claims, they told reporters they can’t provide any evidence of them at this time.

At the&nbsp;news conference on Thursday, Giuliani said he planned to file more lawsuits and that Democrats had engaged in a "national conspiracy" to manipulate vote totals, although he admitted he did not have any evidence.

Other members of the legal team floated a theory involving Venezuela and George Soros, a bogeyman of conservatives, although they said they would probably not pursue it in court.

Giuliani said accounts of suspicious activity would ultimately overturn the election, which Biden won nationwide by 5.9 million votes. Some of those accounts have already been thrown out of court.

"We cannot allow these crooks - because that`s what they are - to steal this election. They elected Donald Trump. They didn`t elect Joe Biden," Giuliani said.

Giuliani`s agitated performance, featuring rivulets of hair dye running down his face, was widely mocked by Democrats. Others expressed alarm.

"That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history," tweeted Christopher Krebs, who headed up the US&nbsp;government`s efforts to combat election disinformation until he was fired by Trump earlier this week. 
&nbsp; 
(With inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump’s legal point man Rudy Giuliani gave a news conference to talk about the status of Trump's loss in US elections, but all people could focus on was the fact that his profuse sweating was causing his hair dye to run down his face.

Donald Trump’s legal point man Rudy Giuliani gave a news conference to talk about the status of Trump's loss in US elections, but all people could focus on was the fact that his profuse sweating was causing his hair dye to run down his face. Streaks of what appeared to be the former New York City mayor's hair dye or makeup ran down the side of his face, amusing social media users. This incident sparked a wave of memes across social media platforms. I see Rudy Giuliani is having a meltdown. Literally.#SurrenderDorothy pic.twitter.com/ZtYMtIyBIX — Richard Littler (@richard_littler) November 19, 2020 × Ask yourself have ever seen Rudy Giuliani and the Baron Harkonnen in the same room? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/wgKGYUK672 — druidic antifa-pope (@liamtoomster) November 19, 2020 × Apart from this makeup malfunction, Giuliani and his legal team alleged they have evidence of mass, coordinated voter fraud, is that despite such claims, they told reporters they can’t provide any evidence of them at this time. At the news conference on Thursday, Giuliani said he planned to file more lawsuits and that Democrats had engaged in a "national conspiracy" to manipulate vote totals, although he admitted he did not have any evidence. Other members of the legal team floated a theory involving Venezuela and George Soros, a bogeyman of conservatives, although they said they would probably not pursue it in court. Giuliani said accounts of suspicious activity would ultimately overturn the election, which Biden won nationwide by 5.9 million votes. Some of those accounts have already been thrown out of court. "We cannot allow these crooks - because that`s what they are - to steal this election. They elected Donald Trump. They didn`t elect Joe Biden," Giuliani said. Giuliani`s agitated performance, featuring rivulets of hair dye running down his face, was widely mocked by Democrats. Others expressed alarm. "That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history," tweeted Christopher Krebs, who headed up the US government`s efforts to combat election disinformation until he was fired by Trump earlier this week. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani's hair dye melting during press meet sparks wave of memes

Donald Trump&#39;s personal lawyer in the Russia case Marc Kosowitz has responded to a stranger&#39;s email with&nbsp;bizarre and&nbsp;profane threats, according to an article by <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/marc-kasowitz-trump-lawyer-threat-emails-maddow" target="_blank">ProPublica</a>. The emails&#39; authenticity have been verified.

The man, a retired PR professional who requested anonymity, wrote an email to&nbsp;Kasich in response to an earlier ProPublica piece about Kasowitz with the subject heading: &quot;Resign now.&quot;

The original piece about Trump&#39;s lawyer in the Russia case, Kasowitz,&nbsp;is important: It was about the lawyer not seeking a security clearance, despite the Trump-Russia case involving large amounts of classified material.&nbsp;

ProPublica claimed that experts believed Kasowitz may have trouble getting such a security clearance, because of what multiple sources described as a recent history of alcohol abuse. In addition, former employees said he engaged in behaviour that made them uncomfortable.&nbsp;

The security clearance background check also considers &quot;any information relevant to strength of character, honesty, discretion, sound judgement [and] reliability.&quot;

A spokesperson for Kasovich said the lawyer &quot;had not struggled with alcoholism&quot; and disputed a couple other aspects of the first ProPublica&nbsp;story.

&nbsp;

The emails

In response to the stranger&#39;s email, Kasowitz wrote a series of progressively longer, angrier emails over a half hour period between 9:30-10pm Eastern time. First was a two word response:&nbsp;&quot;F*ck you.&quot;

The second one read: &quot;I&#39;m on you now. You are f*cking with me now Let&#39;s see who you are Watch your back , b*tch.&quot;

To this, the man responded: &quot;Thank you for your kind reply. I may&nbsp;be in touch as appropriate.&quot;

&quot;___ call me ____ if you want a conversation. I will have it with you. You are such a piece of sh*t. Call me. Don&#39;t be afraid, you piece of sh*t. Stand up. If you don&#39;t call, you&#39;re just afraid. Call me.&nbsp;

In the final email, Kasowitz&nbsp;remarked on the man&#39;s supposed Jewish heritage. Kasowitz is also Jewish. He also went on to threaten him:

&quot;I&#39;m Jewish. I presume you are too. Stop being afraid. Call me. Or give me your number and I will call you. I already know where you live, I&#39;m on you. You might as well call me. You&#39;ll see me.&nbsp;I promise. Bro.&quot;

The man sent it to the FBI because he was worried, but experts are reportedly divided over whether this could put Trump&#39;s lawyer in legal jeopardy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Kasowitz&#39;s response:

The report included an update with a response from Kasovich&#39;s spokesman:

&ldquo;Mr. Kasowitz, who is tied up with client matters, said he intends to apologize to the writer of the email referenced in today&rsquo;s ProPublica story.&nbsp;While no excuse, the email came at the end of a very long day that at 10 p.m. was not yet over.&nbsp;&nbsp;&lsquo;The person sending that email is entitled to his opinion and I should not have responded in that inappropriate manner,&rsquo; Mr. Kasowitz said.&nbsp; &lsquo;I intend to send him an email stating just that.&nbsp; This is one of those times where one wishes he could reverse the clock, but of course I can&rsquo;t.&rsquo;&rdquo;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Marc Kasowitz: '...I already know where you live, I'm on you. You might as well call me. You'll see me.?I promise. Bro'

Donald Trump's personal lawyer in the Russia case Marc Kosowitz has responded to a stranger's email with bizarre and profane threats, according to an article by ProPublica. The emails' authenticity have been verified. The man, a retired PR professional who requested anonymity, wrote an email to Kasich in response to an earlier ProPublica piece about Kasowitz with the subject heading: "Resign now." The original piece about Trump's lawyer in the Russia case, Kasowitz, is important: It was about the lawyer not seeking a security clearance, despite the Trump-Russia case involving large amounts of classified material. ProPublica claimed that experts believed Kasowitz may have trouble getting such a security clearance, because of what multiple sources described as a recent history of alcohol abuse. In addition, former employees said he engaged in behaviour that made them uncomfortable. The security clearance background check also considers "any information relevant to strength of character, honesty, discretion, sound judgement [and] reliability." A spokesperson for Kasovich said the lawyer "had not struggled with alcoholism" and disputed a couple other aspects of the first ProPublica story. The emails In response to the stranger's email, Kasowitz wrote a series of progressively longer, angrier emails over a half hour period between 9:30-10pm Eastern time. First was a two word response: "F*ck you." The second one read: "I'm on you now. You are f*cking with me now Let's see who you are Watch your back , b*tch." To this, the man responded: "Thank you for your kind reply. I may be in touch as appropriate." "___ call me ____ if you want a conversation. I will have it with you. You are such a piece of sh*t. Call me. Don't be afraid, you piece of sh*t. Stand up. If you don't call, you're just afraid. Call me. In the final email, Kasowitz remarked on the man's supposed Jewish heritage. Kasowitz is also Jewish. He also went on to threaten him: "I'm Jewish. I presume you are too. Stop being afraid. Call me. Or give me your number and I will call you. I already know where you live, I'm on you. You might as well call me. You'll see me. I promise. Bro." The man sent it to the FBI because he was worried, but experts are reportedly divided over whether this could put Trump's lawyer in legal jeopardy. Kasowitz's response: The report included an update with a response from Kasovich's spokesman: “Mr. Kasowitz, who is tied up with client matters, said he intends to apologize to the writer of the email referenced in today’s ProPublica story. While no excuse, the email came at the end of a very long day that at 10 p.m. was not yet over. ‘The person sending that email is entitled to his opinion and I should not have responded in that inappropriate manner,’ Mr. Kasowitz said. ‘I intend to send him an email stating just that. This is one of those times where one wishes he could reverse the clock, but of course I can’t.’”

Trump lawyer in Russia case threatens stranger in email: 'Watch your back, b*tch'

One of President Donald Trump&#39;s personal lawyers said in television interviews on Sunday that the president was not under investigation for obstruction of justice, but when pressed on the assertion, said he was not certain.

&quot;The fact of the matter is the president has not been and is not under investigation,&quot; Jay Sekulow, a new member of Trump&#39;s legal team, said on CBS&#39; &quot;Face the Nation&quot; in one of four interviews he gave on Sunday.

There have been multiple news reports and a tweet from Trump himself on Friday that began with: &quot;I am being investigated.&quot;

Challenged on &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; about the issue, Sekulow said he could not be certain Trump was not under investigation but that no one had notified the legal team if that was the case. It is common for subjects of federal investigations not to know they are under scrutiny, especially in the initial phases.

A source familiar with the Mueller probe said on Thursday that investigators would have to gather a large amount of evidence before an interview with the president would be warranted.

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Holy crap. This exchange between Chris Wallace and Trump&#39;s lawyer is absolutely incredible. <a href="https://t.co/Wem33Lc1VK">pic.twitter.com/Wem33Lc1VK</a>
&mdash; David Mack (@davidmackau) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidmackau/status/876513747598270464">June 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump, who has denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia, has frequently lashed out about the allegations, which have overshadowed his administration&#39;s efforts to overhaul the healthcare system, cut taxes and boost jobs.

Mueller, the special counsel named by the Justice Department to probe the Russia matter, is investigating whether anyone associated with Trump or his campaign had any illegal dealings with Russian officials or others with ties to the Kremlin. Russian officials have denied meddling in the US&nbsp;election.

The source familiar with the Mueller probe told Reuters that Mueller was also examining whether Trump or others tried to interfere with the investigation.

&nbsp;

&#39;CANNOT READ MIND&#39; OF SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

Sekulow said that Trump, in his tweet, was reacting to a story in the Washington Post, which was the first to report Mueller was examining whether Trump had tried to obstruct the probe by firing FBI Director James Comey in May.

Sekulow acknowledged that he could not be certain that the report was false. &quot;I cannot read the mind of the special prosecutor,&quot; he said. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the Mueller team, declined to comment.

Sekulow, a conservative activist and radio talk-show host, earlier this month joined Trump&#39;s legal team, which is led by Marc Kasowitz. Sekulow has publicly criticised Comey, whom Trump fired.

In addition to being the author of several books such as &quot;Undemocratic: How unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats are stealing your liberty and freedom,&quot; Sekulow is the chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, a politically conservative Christian organisation.

Barak Cohen, a former Justice Department lawyer and now a defense attorney specialising in white-collar crime and investigations, said there was no requirement that the special counsel notify Trump he was under investigation, so the lack of such notice meant nothing.

He said, however, that Sekulow&rsquo;s comments could mean the White House was taking the position that no investigation exists until Mueller&rsquo;s team officially confirms it, disregarding media reports based on anonymous sourcing.

Cohen said the first official communication that a target is under investigation typically comes when prosecutors begin requesting documents and other evidence. At that time, defense lawyers often will ask about their clients&rsquo; status.

Prosecutors will often answer then to avoid misleading the target. They may not answer if they are trying to build a case and develop further evidence.

&quot;No answer is probably the most troubling answer in criminal defense,&rdquo; Cohen said.

(Reuters)

In a weird exchange Jay Sekulow denied that the president was under investigation, even though Trump himself has admitted it

One of President Donald Trump's personal lawyers said in television interviews on Sunday that the president was not under investigation for obstruction of justice, but when pressed on the assertion, said he was not certain. "The fact of the matter is the president has not been and is not under investigation," Jay Sekulow, a new member of Trump's legal team, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" in one of four interviews he gave on Sunday. There have been multiple news reports and a tweet from Trump himself on Friday that began with: "I am being investigated." Challenged on "Fox News Sunday" about the issue, Sekulow said he could not be certain Trump was not under investigation but that no one had notified the legal team if that was the case. It is common for subjects of federal investigations not to know they are under scrutiny, especially in the initial phases. A source familiar with the Mueller probe said on Thursday that investigators would have to gather a large amount of evidence before an interview with the president would be warranted. Holy crap. This exchange between Chris Wallace and Trump's lawyer is absolutely incredible. pic.twitter.com/Wem33Lc1VK — David Mack (@davidmackau) June 18, 2017 × Trump, who has denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia, has frequently lashed out about the allegations, which have overshadowed his administration's efforts to overhaul the healthcare system, cut taxes and boost jobs. Mueller, the special counsel named by the Justice Department to probe the Russia matter, is investigating whether anyone associated with Trump or his campaign had any illegal dealings with Russian officials or others with ties to the Kremlin. Russian officials have denied meddling in the US election. The source familiar with the Mueller probe told Reuters that Mueller was also examining whether Trump or others tried to interfere with the investigation. 'CANNOT READ MIND' OF SPECIAL PROSECUTOR Sekulow said that Trump, in his tweet, was reacting to a story in the Washington Post, which was the first to report Mueller was examining whether Trump had tried to obstruct the probe by firing FBI Director James Comey in May. Sekulow acknowledged that he could not be certain that the report was false. "I cannot read the mind of the special prosecutor," he said. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the Mueller team, declined to comment. Sekulow, a conservative activist and radio talk-show host, earlier this month joined Trump's legal team, which is led by Marc Kasowitz. Sekulow has publicly criticised Comey, whom Trump fired. In addition to being the author of several books such as "Undemocratic: How unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats are stealing your liberty and freedom," Sekulow is the chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, a politically conservative Christian organisation. Barak Cohen, a former Justice Department lawyer and now a defense attorney specialising in white-collar crime and investigations, said there was no requirement that the special counsel notify Trump he was under investigation, so the lack of such notice meant nothing. He said, however, that Sekulow’s comments could mean the White House was taking the position that no investigation exists until Mueller’s team officially confirms it, disregarding media reports based on anonymous sourcing. Cohen said the first official communication that a target is under investigation typically comes when prosecutors begin requesting documents and other evidence. At that time, defense lawyers often will ask about their clients’ status. Prosecutors will often answer then to avoid misleading the target. They may not answer if they are trying to build a case and develop further evidence. "No answer is probably the most troubling answer in criminal defense,” Cohen said. (Reuters)

Trump lawyer says president not informed he is under investigation

Masked gunmen attacked a group of Coptic Christians in southern Egypt on Friday, killing 26 people and wounding 26 others as they were driving to a monastery, medical sources and eyewitnesses said.

The group was travelling in two buses and a small truck in Minya province, which is home to a sizeable Christian minority, the sources said.

Provincial governor Essam al-Bedaiwy said earlier that 23 peoople had been killed and 25 wounded.

Eyewitnesses said the Copts were attacked as they were going to pray at the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in the western part of the province.

They said masked men stopped the vehicles on a road leading to the monastery and opened fire.

Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 per cent of Egypt&#39;s population of 92 million, have been the subject of a series of deadly attacks in recent months.

About 70 have been killed in bomb attacks on churches in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta since December.

Those attacks were claimed by Islamic State. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday&#39;s attack. 
 
(Reuters)

President Trump can't feel 'vindicated' after Comey's testimony all but accused him of obstruction of justice. Why put out that message then?

Masked gunmen attacked a group of Coptic Christians in southern Egypt on Friday, killing 26 people and wounding 26 others as they were driving to a monastery, medical sources and eyewitnesses said. The group was travelling in two buses and a small truck in Minya province, which is home to a sizeable Christian minority, the sources said. Provincial governor Essam al-Bedaiwy said earlier that 23 peoople had been killed and 25 wounded. Eyewitnesses said the Copts were attacked as they were going to pray at the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in the western part of the province. They said masked men stopped the vehicles on a road leading to the monastery and opened fire. Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's population of 92 million, have been the subject of a series of deadly attacks in recent months. About 70 have been killed in bomb attacks on churches in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta since December. Those attacks were claimed by Islamic State. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's attack. (Reuters)

Comey hearing: Whenever reality makes Trump look guilty, the president changes reality

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Comey hearing: Whenever reality makes Trump look guilty, the president changes reality