Politico: “Trump’s respite has provided him hours of downtime, with aides sprinkling his comparatively sparse schedule with meetings and phone calls as he prepares to stump all fall for Republican candidates. He’s spent long stretches in high spirits, according to several accounts, gloating about the economy and gross domestic product, and riding high following recent ballot-box victories.”
“But Trump has found time to rage about the Russia investigation led by Robert Mueller and what he views as the unfair treatment of his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who is on trial in Virginia on charges of tax and bank fraud. Trump’s mood has darkened during periods when the Russia story has dominated”
Said one close adviser: “Every day you wake up and it’s Manafort this, Manafort that. It’s crazy. How do you get away from it?”