When it rains on Donald Trump, it pours

| 9:01 pm EDT May 2, 2018
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

Donald J. Trump’s week continues to be a great one – for his adversaries. We learned that his lawyer, Ty Cobb, is retiring, and being replaced (although in a formal White House role) by former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment lawyer, Emmet T. Flood. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders explained the switch:

“Emmet Flood will be joining the White House staff to represent the president and the administration against the Russia witch hunt. Ty Cobb, a friend of the president, who has done a terrific job, will be retiring at the end of the month.”

Setting aside the tone of that declaration, which Michelle Wolf may have already addressed Saturday night, Flood is a well-respected attorney who has been involved in other presidential investigations and is a partner at Williams & Connolly. Flood had turned down prior entreaties by the Trump administration to join the legal team and insisted in this situation to be a White House lawyer and not Trump’s personal attorney.

In the meantime, someone has leaked the topics that Special Counsel Robert Mueller discussed with the Trump legal team in March, which include several topics addressing potential collusion (Trump has tweeted there are no questions asking about collusion). Now, we have learned that Summer Zervos, who has accused Trump of sexual assault from her time as a consultant on “The Apprentice,” has issued subpoenas to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, owners of the show archives, and the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the alleged sexual assault took place in 2007.

The subpoenas request the recipients to turn over any documents, video or audio that either feature Zervos or that capture Trump talking about her or women generally “in any sexual or inappropriate manner.” What is becoming apparent is that there are multiple matters that Trump and his legal team must focus on that could mean difficult legal maneuvering for his legal team and for him. It appears that the discovery process is not just a slow trickle, but a difficult, stormy crisis that is becoming more like showers.