Another anti-Trump 'bombshell,' another dud

The latest "bombshell" dropped on the president turns out to be a dud. The latest about the president had Deep State enthusiasts in fits of ecstasy. The headlines read: "A bombshell report says Trump ordered Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower Moscow deal," "If Trump Told Cohen to Lie, Impeachment is Coming." "BuzzFeed: Sources say Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about proposed Moscow project." CNBC reported, "Trump told his lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about Russia Trump Tower deal, BuzzFeed report says." They have visions of the president's bleeding carcass being carried out of the White House. Only one problem: It was another dud.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler claims that telling Cohen to lie to Congress is a criminal act that he will be investigating. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff believes that this violation is "among the most serious to date." Andy Wright, an associate White House counsel under former Democratic president Barack Obama, stated that if this is true, "it's a seismic event." Directing or encouraging someone to lie under oath is a crime known as subornation of perjury. BuzzFeed's report, based on the ubiquitous anonymous sources, is being contradicted by the special counsel's office. Peter Carr, the spokesman for the Mueller office, stated, "BuzzFeed's description of specific statements to the Special Counsel's Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's Congressional testimony are not accurate." BuzzFeed's report is apparently based on the testimony of Michael Cohen, who has been convicted of lying to Congress. The president tweeted that Cohen was lying to get less prison time. Is it possible that the special counsel would stoop to such tactics? Aside from Cohen's questionable veracity, there is reason to believe that he has some severe psychiatric problems. Cohen reportedly hired the I.T. firm RedFinch Solutions to manipulate polls to improve Donald Trump's image. He also hired the company to create a Twitter account called @WomenForCohen. The account claims that it is run by "women who love and support Michael Cohen." It describes him as "strong, pit bull, sex symbol, no nonsense, business oriented and ready to make a difference!" One tweet claims that Cohen looks "even more sexy" than a young Andy Garcia. John Gauger, the owner of RedFinch Solutions, claims that he set up this account under Cohen's direction. Gauger claims he was promised $50,000 for his work but received only about $12,000. Several female sources who wish to remain anonymous have testified that Cohen does not qualify as a "sex symbol." When he wept at his sentencing, he brought into question his claim of being a "strong pit bull." It appears that Michael Cohen is seriously delusional. BuzzFeed joins a long list of Trump-haters making mischief. The Daily Caller claims that a report by ABC's Brian Ross about former national security adviser Michael Flynn caused the stock market to drop several hundred points. The constant effort to destroy the president has made U.S. relations with Russia contentious. Completely bogus stories like the claim that the Russians were hacking the U.S. power grid have poisoned our relations. These allegations and more are having an adverse effect on our economy and our foreign policy. John Dietrich is a freelance writer and the author of The Morgenthau Plan: Soviet Influence on American Postwar Policy (Algora Publishing). He has a Master of Arts degree in international relations from St. Mary's University. He is retired from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.