President Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was indicted Monday over an assortment of alleged financial crimes, provoking a flurry of speculation about how the commander in chief might respond. "In the hours after the indictment," The Associated Press reports, "the president angrily told one confidant that Manafort had been a campaign 'part-timer' who had only helped steer the convention and got too much credit for Trump's ability to hold onto the nomination."
Still, the charges against Manafort — which include conspiracy against the United States — are serious. Additionally, there is excitement among Trump's critics that Manafort could potentially "flip" and out other Trump associates in order to cut a better deal for himself. Trump, on the other hand, could potentially fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller — or pardon his old campaign chairman.
On Tuesday, when asked point blank if he would pardon Manafort, Trump didn't answer. Instead, he abruptly ended the conversation. Watch below. Jeva Lange
The Week
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