The Morning Briefing: Comey the Redeemer Testifies in Private Today and Much, Much More

Good Friday morning.

Here is what’s on the president’s agenda today:

President Trump delivers remarks at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri
The president and first lady attend a dinner with senior White House staff

Comey’s big day

Former FBI Director James Comey, also known as Comey the Redeemer, will be testifying behind closed doors today with the House Judiciary Committee before the Democrats take over in January and use the committee to attack the president. Comey tried to fight the subpoena but agreed to testify privately if the committee would release his testimony in a timely manner. If you are a Comey-head, you have a great weekend ahead of you reading his transcripts.

Democrats, who will also attend the interview, have said the GOP investigation is merely a way to distract from and undermine special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Mueller took over the department’s investigation when he was appointed in May 2017.

The RUSSIA probe, as any astute reader of the Morning Briefing would know, has uncovered not one shred of evidence that the Trump campaign “colluded with RUSSIA,” but the left has to keep its base motivated with something, so they act like true believers of their RUSSIA conspiracy theory.

At least the closed-door interview will cut down on the peacocking and political twerking we see so often in these hearings. Keep your eye out for the transcript this weekend.

Mueller about to drop some more smack

Get ready, because it’s document dump Friday for special counsel Mueller.

In a pair of highly significant court maneuvers, the special counsel is expected to unveil new details of his investigation Friday that will make life even more uncomfortable for President Donald Trump and his inner circle.

Here is what’s in the dump:

Mueller is facing a deadline to explain to a judge in Washington why he has accused Trump’s already convicted and jailed former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, of lying and breaking a cooperation deal.

And he must also deliver documents to a court in New York recommending whether Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen should go to jail and for how long, after Cohen turned against his former top client and agreed to cooperate with the special counsel.

You can almost hear the tears falling as these words were written:

Yet as with this week’s feverishly anticipated sentencing memo about Trump’s ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn, the filings could bring a measure of disappointment to special counsel watchers if large quantities of evidence are redacted to protect ongoing investigations.

Say, what’s this about?

Since then, Mueller has constructed a tapestry of disclosures that started with an accounting of a hacking operation by Moscow’s intelligence agencies and has unveiled multiple links between Russians and people around Trump — and repeated lies about those contacts.

Is this true? Why hasn’t anyone been charged with crimes or espionage? In the FAKE FISA warrant, four different senior DOJ officials swore that Carter Page was a spy. WHY IS HE WALKING THE STREETS?

Also, deep state victim George Papadopoulos is set to be released today after serving time for “lying” to the FBI.

Historical picture of the day:

As heavy smoke rolls out of the stricken USS West Virginia, a small boat rescues a crew member from the water after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941 during World War II. Two men can be seen on the superstructure, upper center. The mast of the USS Tennessee is beyond the burning West Virginia. (AP Photo)

Other morsels:

The Dem-controlled Congress will get right on that. Clinton Foundation whistleblowers have come forward with hundreds of pages of evidence, Meadows says

Judge orders more fact-finding in Clinton email case

Missouri GOP Secretary of State launches investigation into Hawley’s time as AG

William Barr is Trump’s top candidate to replace Sessions

Trump allegedly had illegal immigrants clean his underwear, trophies

Trump reportedly picks Heather Nauert to be UN ambassador

Of course Sen. Murphy: Nauert is clearly not qualified

Bolton didn’t know about Huawei CFO’s arrest during Trump, Xi meeting, spokesperson says

Oregon man wins $118G lottery while waiting to cash in another winning lottery ticket

Of course. Nebraska principal reportedly bans candy canes, says ‘J shape’ stands for Jesus

CBS paid off ’60 Minutes’ creator’s alleged sex assault victim more than $5 million: probe