Hours after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was taken into custody in London, Donald Trump was asked for his thoughts on the matter, especially since there’s a very good chance Assange will be extradited to the United States. How did Trump respond? All he had to say was this:
“It’s not my thing. I know there is something having to do with Julian Assange. I’ve been seeing what’s happened with Assange and that will be a determination, I would imagine. I know nothing really about him.
“It’s not my deal in life.”
Keep in mind Trump said that (and he did so in quite a forlorn tone of voice) despite repeatedly mentioning how much he loved WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign when they released hacked information from the campaign of Hillary Clinton.
But while Assange and WikiLeaks may have helped Trump win the presidential election three years ago, the fact that Assange is now in custody is bad news, because the WikiLeaks founder could wind up proving to be a nightmare for Trump.
The problem for Trump is that since Assange leaked information that was stolen by Russian intelligence, he clearly has numerous connections to the Kremlin. Russia even criticized Assange’s arrest today, with Alexey Chepa, deputy chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma commenting:
“We need to use all international opportunities to protect the person who tried to expose the truth and bring information to the public that some entities carefully concealed.”
Even though Special Counsel Robert Mueller wasn’t able to prove conclusively that Trump and his campaign conspired with Russia, it’s safe to assume that Assange has some information on exactly how closely Russia and Trump were working behind the scenes to assure the election went Trump’s way. And that could prove devastating if Assange agrees to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors in exchange for reduced charges or a shorter prison sentence. In other words, Assange may be able to prove what no one else could: That Donald Trump is a Russian asset and a traitor.
Over the next few weeks, be on the lookout for any statement from Trump regarding Assange, either to the press or on Twitter. He seems to have a bizarre need to confess his crimes with his repeated denials.