I cannot — cannot — believe that the verdict in the trial of the president’s campaign manager is coming down at the very moment that the president’s former lawyer is pleading guilty in federal court.

The crackheads writing the simulation in which we’re now living are total hacks. This is the worst, pulpiest reality show ever.

Remember my prediction: If he walks on the major charges or the jury’s hung on them, Trump’s gonna pardon him. In fact, Michael Cohen’s plea deal today arguably gives POTUS even more political cover to do that. When the public outcry over a Manafort pardon erupts, Trump can point to the fact that Cohen’s headed off to prison and say, “See, I don’t pardon all of my cronies. I didn’t even pardon Manafort until Mueller blew the case against him.”

Updates, big ones, are coming. Stand by!

Update: And there it is — on a majority of counts.

BREAKING: Judge declares mistrial on 10 counts in Manafort trial https://t.co/Zlna7WRo3a

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 21, 2018

Update: Guilty, guilty, guilty on the other eight, all (most?) of which are related to tax fraud:

BREAKING: Paul Manafort guilty on 8 counts. Mistrial declared on 10 other counts. https://t.co/SmCDMTB7zv

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) August 21, 2018

Update: The convictions:

UPDATE: Manafort guilty of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, one count of failing to file f-bar….and a partridge in a pear tree https://t.co/rPLwe2Dy2b

— Joshua Green (@JoshuaGreen) August 21, 2018

No word on potential sentences as I write this. Stay tuned…

Update: Democrat Mark Warner spikes the ball, even though this is more a field goal than a touchdown:

Not a witch hunt.

— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) August 21, 2018

Don’t forget, unless Trump steps in, Manafort goes on trial for alleged money laundering next month in Democrat-heavy Washington.

Update: Here’s the answer to my question about sentencing. He’ll die in prison if the judge throws the book at him.

https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1032007694444580864