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I’m wary of claiming that Donald Trump’s internal and external chaos is connected to any one particular thing. I simply don’t believe Trump is smart enough or lucid enough to truly understand the scope of Robert Mueller’s investigation, and how the walls truly are closing in. But still, it does feel like Trump has been extra shambolic in past weeks, and maybe this is why:

In Jane Mayer’s definitive profile of Christopher Steele, the veteran British spy who compiled a controversial dossier documenting Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, and then some, there’s a curious line attributed to the reclusive agent, who has gone into hiding since his investigative findings have made him the target of Republican recriminations: “It was as if all criminal roads led to Trump Tower,” Steele is quoted saying.

Through the first ten months of his investigation, Robert Mueller’s interest in the headquarters of the Trump Organization seems to have been limited to Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting, alongside Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, with a motley crew of Russian characters who claimed to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton. But now the special counsel has trained its sights on the business proper: The New York Times reported on Thursday that Mueller has subpoenaed Russia-related documents from the organization — which may include everything from emails to visitor logs to financial records to contracts the company entered into, all going back several years.

The Times doesn’t specify the breadth of the subpoena, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Mueller is interested in specific sensitive records related to Trump’s long-held desire to grow his real-estate empire in Moscow. Mueller’s team has already asked witnesses about those plans — among them Felix Sater, an estranged Trump associate who knows better than most about the president’s interest in Russia. “First thing I plan to do when Trump leaves office, whether it’s next week, in 2020 or four years later, is march right into his office and say, ‘Let’s build Trump Moscow,’” Sater told BuzzFeed News recently.

[From New York Magazine]

The only thing that surprises me is that Mueller hadn’t already subpoenaed those kinds of documents, because it was clear from the witnesses Mueller had already interviewed that Mueller was targeting Trump Org’s business relationships within Russia. And honestly, it’s all connected – Trump Org was connected to the Trump campaign, and both were connected to Russia. What I’m trying to figure out is if the current, real-time shambles is connected to Mueller. Yes, Trump is firing his National Security Adviser, and he’s doing it in the most shambolic way:

President Trump has decided to remove H.R. McMaster as his national security adviser and is actively discussing potential replacements, according to five people with knowledge of the plans, preparing to deliver yet another jolt to the senior ranks of his administration. Trump is now comfortable with ousting McMaster, with whom he never personally gelled, but is willing to take time executing the move because he wants to ensure both that the three-star Army general is not humiliated and that there is a strong successor lined up, these people said.

The turbulence is part of a broader potential shake-up under consideration by Trump that is likely to include senior officials at the White House, where staffers are gripped by fear and un­certainty as they await the next move from an impulsive president who enjoys stoking conflict.

For all of the evident disorder, Trump feels emboldened, advisers said — buoyed by what he views as triumphant decisions last week to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum and to agree to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The president is enjoying the process of assessing his team and making changes, tightening his inner circle to those he considers survivors and who respect his unconventional style, one senior White House official said.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders pushed back late Thursday on Twitter: “Just spoke @POTUS and Gen H.R. McMaster. Contrary to reports they have a good working relationship and there are no changes at the NSC.”

Before The Washington Post report was published, a White House spokesperson checked with several senior White House officials and did not dispute that the president had made a decision. White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly — who has personally been eager to see McMaster go —has also told White House staff in recent days that Trump had made up his mind about ousting McMaster.

And on Thursday, Trump signaled that more personnel moves were likely. “There will always be change,” the president told reporters. “And I think you want to see change. I want to also see different ideas.”

[From The Washington Post]

“There will always be change.” There will always be chaos. There will always be a Fuhrer Trump. There will always be indignity. There will always be racism and white supremacy. There will always be a swamp.

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