Roger Stone isn't ruling out cooperation with Robert Mueller, and Trump's team is reportedly nervous
On Friday morning, after being released from jail on $250,000 bail, Roger Stone insisted that despite being indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's grand jury on seven counts related to Russia's interference to elect President Trump, he would not testify or "bear false witness against the president." But "Trump is very worried," a longtime Trump confidante told Vanity Fair's Gabriel Sherman, with another Republican close to Trump adding: "I could see Roger flipping pretty quickly." On Sunday's ABC News This Week, Stone was a little ambiguous on that point.
Stone told This Week he hasn't done anything wrong, but "if there's wrongdoing by other people in the campaign that I know about — which I know of none — but if there is, I would certainly testify honestly." He'd "also testify honestly about any other matter, including any communications with the president," he said, characterizing their phone conversations as "political in nature, they're benign, and there is certainly no conspiracy with Russia." Stone, 66, did not rule out cooperating with Mueller, though, saying "I don't want to address that question, but I have made it clear I will not testify against the president, because I would have to bear false witness against him."
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif), a former prosecutor who was on This Week after Stone, said the indictment had "specific allegations of lies and witness intimidation" that could "easily be provable." Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) agreed that it's a "pretty damning indictment" and said Stone's defense is pretty typical of "every white-collar defendant in this circumstance."
Most white-collar defendants aren't longtime friends with the president, who has unlimited pardon powers for federal crimes. But old friendships — Trump and Stone first met in 1979 — are complicated. "Stone and Trump are like an old married couple," the Republican close to Trump told Sherman. "Stone knows Donald isn't loyal. He calls him 'Mr. Ingratitude.'" Peter Weber
History has its eyes on Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) — in more ways than one.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced Harris as his pick to hold the position he once held under former president Barack Obama on Tuesday.
The former California attorney general is rightly being recognized as the first Black woman to sit on a major political party's national ticket, but the historic nature of Harris' position contains multitudes.
To start, Harris is the first person with Indian heritage to run on a national presidential ticket. Her late mother was born in India, and Harris has credited her maternal grandfather, a former Indian diplomat, with helping her to appreciate the "importance of democracy and a government that represents the people — all the people,” Politico reports.
Harris's nomination also marks the first time a major nominee has graduated from an HBCU, a.k.a Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986, receiving her B.A. after studying political science and economics.
Howard University president Wayne A.I. Frederick released a statement saying the senator's nomination "represents a milestone opportunity for our democracy to acknowledge the leadership Black women have always exhibited, but has too often been ignored.”
Harris went on to attend the University of California, Hastings where she received her J.D., making her the first person to sit on the Democratic ticket in over 35 years who did not attend an Ivy League school.
If Harris and Biden succeed in ousting President Trump from office, Harris will also hold the honor of being the first female and the first Asian American to be elected to national office, but we'll save that conversation for another day. Marianne Dodson
Joe Biden just announced his running mate choice: Sen. Kamala Harris of California. That means Harris, if she can govern well, could be the leader of both the Democratic Party and the country through 2030. If she can't, she might well be the last democratically-elected vice president in American history.
Biden is the heavy favorite against Trump this year. Given his age and his track record of working closely with President Obama when he was vice president, Harris will presumably play a significant role in major governing decisions. It's unpopular for the media to talk about, but there's a decent chance she would need to step in before Biden's term is up. What's more, there is a reasonable chance that Biden would choose not to run for re-election in 2024. If so, Harris would be the overwhelming favorite to run in his place.
The stakes could hardly be higher. Donald Trump is blatantly trying to steal the 2020 election, and the next Republican candidate will very likely try the same trick. A Biden administration would have four years, and perhaps another four or eight under a Harris administration, to address the pandemic, rebuild the shattered economy and federal government, root out Trump's gangrenous corruption, and fortify America's democratic institutions. If Biden and Harris instead muddle through letting everything fester, as happened under the Obama administration, the next would-be authoritarian probably won't be as incompetent as Trump. Let's hope they seize the moment. Ryan Cooper