“In short, we’ve reached a point in the Mueller probe where there are only two scenarios left: Either the president is compromised by the Russian government and has been working covertly to cooperate with Vladimir Putin after Russia helped win him the 2016 election—or Trump will go down in history as the world’s most famous ‘useful idiot,’ as communists used to call those who could be co-opted to the cause without realizing it.” Garrett Graff in Wired: Trump Must Be A Russian Agent; The Alternative Is Too Awful.

+ “Eleven Republicans joined Democrats in a vote to enforce sanctions against the corporate empire of an influential ally of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, but the effort fell three votes short of the 60-vote threshold required to advance the measure.” NYT: Democrats Fall Short in Russia Sanctions Vote. (Even the House voted overwhelmingly to keep the sanctions in place.)

+ NPR: Michael Cohen acknowledges scheme to rig polls in presidential race.

+ Rudy Giuliani says Trump didn’t collude with Russia but can’t say if campaign aides did. “I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or people in the campaign.” (Giuliani has now moved the goalposts so far that not even Cody Parkey could hit the uprights.)