What a day. Trump opines: “You people with this phony Emoluments Clause” because apparently there’s a US Constitution.

So much diversionary activity as Trump repeats campaign lies during his “Cabinet meeting” press opportunity. That event was meant to offset the failed Mulvaney press briefing of last week and the even more disastrous TV appearances.

Gaslighting Nation continues today with another version of the “Russian asset” meme as Trump pointed toward Tulsi Gabbard in hopes that Hillary Clinton becomes the real criminal.

Just remember that some criminal investigations are continuing, despite all the distractions, including a claim by Jacob Wohl that Ted Cruz is a “swinger”.

House Democrats are zeroing in on a framework for their impeachment case against Trump that will center on a simple "abuse of power" narrative involving Trump's actions regarding Ukraine, according to multiple people familiar with the deliberations.https://t.co/UmLM3FKLId — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 21, 2019

“You people with this phony Emoluments Clause”

Trump, in the middle of a monologue about how George Washington was also a businessman while in office, cast baseless aspersions on Obama's post-presidency deal with Netflix. He then mocked the "phony Emoluments Clause," which is in the actual Constitution. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 21, 2019

1. Trump solicited a bribe from Ukraine

2. The favor he sought, “though,” was itself criminal: Foreign election help

3. By withholding aid till getting that favor, he helped our adversary: Putin

4. Putin helped elect T

5. T also sought Ukraine’s help to cover up #4 — Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) October 21, 2019

Mulvaney is basically left with few allies at a top level right now. So he went out to the briefing room at a moment when he needed to show POTUS he could do the job. And it didn't go well. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 21, 2019 He literally fucking confessed to crimes https://t.co/Lv9J9kENm4 — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) October 21, 2019

Department of Justice distances itself from Rudy Giuliani in unusual statement https://t.co/wfYtVQKc7f — Raw Story (@RawStory) October 21, 2019

Meet the woman who wrote @realDonaldTrump's campaign Facebook posts – and the tech firm that helped him get elected. pic.twitter.com/9vA3KMIIGj — BBC Stories (@bbcstories) August 13, 2017 It turns out the Russian intelligence hackers known as Cozy Bear never went away at all. And the details of their spying campaign show why they are among the world’s best at what they do. https://t.co/0eIJWyjO3J — MIT Technology Review (@techreview) October 21, 2019

Tulsi Gabbard say that she doesn’t control the Russian bots that support her, but she did control the hiring of Chris Cooper, the smear campaigner who was paid by Natalia Veselnitskaya and her Russian backed sponsors to smear me and try to repeal the Magnitsky Act in DC https://t.co/pxS1eBmln8 — Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) October 20, 2019

We need to be clearer that some GOP lawmakers are fully behind Trump because they *affirmatively support* his act of corruptly pressuring Ukraine to investigate (i.e., smear) Biden. Some have argued Trump's removal won't be possible without a huge popular mobilization, because our institutions are weaker than in Nixon's day. See @brianbeutler, @DLeonhardt, @mattyglesias, @lara_putnam I argue here that Fox News is also a key factor:https://t.co/qT9k9S3fFZ pic.twitter.com/oaFUOQl5oh — Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) October 21, 2019

Because NATO allies can be attacked?

Then there’s this sideshow while we wait for Wohl to go to jail. Say hello to Ted’s “little friend”.

Struggling to come up with a single reason besides lulz that anybody is still paying attention to Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman, or Milo at this point. — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 21, 2019 Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman & Milo's "press conference" about Ted Cruz being a swinger is off to a fantastic start (via @FordFischer) pic.twitter.com/igxUr7uZU4 — jordan (@JordanUhl) October 21, 2019 You guys, guess where I am. pic.twitter.com/uxs73bw6wh — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) October 21, 2019 Great list of top movie quotes. But it’s SERIOUSLY lacking in quotes from The Princess Bride and Fletch. Nevertheless, I’m particularly fond of #61, from the immortal Tony Montana: “Say ‘hello’ to my little friend!” https://t.co/jAYy9IhvVq — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 16, 2019

In other RWNJ distractions:

Daily Wire host claims 'the Left' "is really a castrating bitch" and Trump has been placed by "the living God" to destroy it and save the country pic.twitter.com/IBsQ1VhVCL — Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) October 21, 2019