Wall Street Journal Concludes Trump Was Behind 'Hush Money' Payments

Donald Trump

The Wall Street Journal, a conservative newspaper I will point out, has issued its report on the hush money payments by Donald Trump to former Playmate Susan McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels.

The report itself is behind the newspaper's firewall, but CNBC has the receipts:

President Donald Trump was involved in “nearly every step” of hush-money agreements with multiple women who claimed they had sexual affairs before he became president, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The newspaper, citing dozens of interviews and document, also reported that Trump may have violated federal campaign-finance laws through his participation in the deals. Trump has denied knowing about a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star and director who alleges she had sex with Trump in 2006.

The Journal reported that Trump, as a presidential candidate, “directed deals in phone calls and meetings” related to the women with Cohen. The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, which prosecuted Cohen, has reportedly also collected evidence of Trump’s involvement in the agreements.

Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, took to Twitter to make sure folks knew about the reporting.

This further confirms what we have been saying and alleging for months. There can be no question now as to the validity of our allegations. I look forward to the apologies directed at my honest and heroic client @StormyDaniels.https://t.co/2WsR37wbag

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) November 9, 2018

If you aren't a subscribe to The Wall Street Journal, you can watch the video report below as the WSJ team breaks down the information and series of events they have uncovered.

Again - this is a conservative-leaning news paper. The WSJ is no 'liberal' anything. Watch below.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

Donald Trump Rants Against WSJ Report "I Probably Have A Good Relationship With Kim Jong Un"

Donald Trump took to Twitter this morning to rant against the Wall Street Journal's article that Trump reportedly said he "I probably have a good relationship" with North Korean dictator Lim Jong Un.

The Trumpster says he was "misquoted."

From The Washington Post:

The White House is disputing the newspaper's story from an interview last week in which Trump claimed some success in countering the nuclear threat from North Korea and said he could be open to talks under the right conditions. He claimed good relationships with other Asian leaders dealing with North Korea. The Journal quoted Trump as then saying, “I probably have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un.”

“Obviously I didn’t say that,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday morning. “I said ‘I'd have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un,’ a big difference,” Trump continued. “Fortunately we now record conversations with reporters...”

In a second tweet, Trump finished the thought. "...and they knew exactly what I said and meant,” Trump wrote. “They just wanted a story. FAKE NEWS!”

Trump's press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also tried to defend the statement, repeating "I'd. I'd. I'd."

pic.twitter.com/u9MHhxkOt0

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 13, 2018

Here's the audio below. I don't hear the Donald's "D" he's insisting is there.

Maybe he's a lazy talker...?

We have reviewed the audio from our interview with President Trump, as well as the transcript provided by an external service, and stand by what we reported. Here is audio of the portion the White House disputes. https://t.co/eWcmiHrXJg pic.twitter.com/bx9fGFWaPw

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 14, 2018

This is not what the president and his allies call the “liberal” and/or “MSM” media. This is the Murdoch-owned WSJ contradicting the president with evidence. https://t.co/ukZNCCj6PC

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 14, 2018

Wall Street Journal: Trump "Clings To His Assertions Like A Drunk To An Empty Gin Bottle"

Wow.

Op-ed from conservative newspaper, the Wall Street Journal:

If President Trump announces that North Korea launched a missile that landed within 100 miles of Hawaii, would most Americans believe him? Would the rest of the world? We’re not sure, which speaks to the

damage that Mr. Trump is doing to his Presidency with his seemingly endless stream of exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods.

Yet the President clings to his assertions like a drunk to an empty gin bottle, rolling out his press spokesman to make more dubious claims. Sean Spicer—who doesn’t deserve this treatment—was dispatched last week to repeat an assertion by a Fox News commentator that perhaps the Obama Administration had subcontracted the wiretap to British intelligence.

All of this continues the pattern from the campaign that Mr. Trump is his own worst political enemy. He survived his many false claims as a candidate because his core supporters treated it as mere hyperbole and his opponent was untrustworthy Hillary Clinton. But now he’s President, and he needs support beyond the Breitbart cheering section that will excuse anything. As he is learning with the health-care bill, Mr. Trump needs partners in his own party to pass his agenda. He also needs friends abroad who are willing to trust him when he asks for support, not least in a crisis.

Two months into his Presidency, Gallup has Mr. Trump’s approval rating at 39%. No doubt Mr. Trump considers that fake news, but if he doesn’t show more respect for the truth most Americans may conclude he’s a fake President.

Wall Street Journal Slaps Back At Donald Trump: "The Truth Hurts"

Donald Trump's war against the conservative Wall Street Journal continues as the Trumpster demanded an apology over the paper's editorial which declared he would be "a sure loser in November."

In a new editorial, the WSJ noted that Democrat Hillary Clinton has received more votes during the primary season than Trump has.

Trump took to Twitter (for a change) and said having 16 opponents made a difference.

Via Talking Points Memo:

“Of the 20.35 million GOP primary votes cast so far, he has received 7.54 million, or a mere 37%. Despite the media desire to call him unstoppable, Mr. Trump is the weakest Republican front-runner since Gerald Ford in 1976.”

The editorial board pointed out that though Trump may have diehard followers, his unfavorables are also remarkably high: “The Real Clear Politics polling average shows twice as many adults have negative views (61%) than positive views (32.5%) of Mr. Trump.”

As for Trump’s remark that the newspaper’s editorials don’t matter because “nobody cares” what the Wall Street Journal writes anymore, the board thanked him for being “such a loyal reader.”

I, personally, disagree with the Trumpmeister. Whether 16 or 60 opponents, your supporters can vote for you in the primary. If you really are all that and a bag of chips, you'd have the votes.