As you know, from Ursulafaw’s great article here, Manafort cut a deal with Mueller’s team, which surely includes (though no one’s announced anything) includes a promise to tell all Manafort knows about Trump’s relationship with Russia.
This will devastate Trump on three levels. For one, Trump had counted upon Manafort’s loyalty. But, loyalty only goes so far when one knows one is guilty, and has an opportunity to lessen the punishment. The first element that will drive Trump increasingly insane is the the fact that Trump will not know precisely what Manafort tells the prosecutors. Trump could believe that some things will never be spilled. Trump seems to expect unqualified loyalty from those around him (See Comey, J.). Trump will be tempted to believe Manafort will pretend to cooperate but still cover Trump. That is near impossible with prosecutors with as much experience and wiliness Mueller’s team have, they are Jedi’s and specialists in dark arts.. They will know the second Manaafort attempts any such thing. Manafort will have an extremely difficult time hiding anything, but Trump can’t be sure.
Second, Manafort had unqualified relationships with Russians in direct contact with Putin. It puts Trump a degree of separation closer to Putin and loyalty to Putin. Now that evidence has come out regarding the actual promises Flynn made to the Russians regarding Trump’s policy, ensures with out a doubt that Trump was ready, willing or fully controlled, and very able to promise Putin whatever it took to keep Trump’s dirty laundry, “kompromat,” secret. Remember, it’s now come out in Woodward’s book that suspicious money transactions came from Russia to Don Jr. in the days preceding and after the Trump Tower meeting. Geez, if that doesn’t blow up any assertion that the meeting produced nothing, and only innocuous stuff was discussed. Oh, and Manafort took the job of leading the Trump campaign on the exact date of the first payment, and he stated he wouldn’t take a salary. You would need be a moron to not conclude that Manafort was inserted by the Russians with instructions that Trump is to name him manager. Mueller is no moron, and Manafort will be able to, and indeed will need to, reveal the entire scheme cooked up. Devastating.
Third, the fact that Manafort turned will ripple outward, making others involved that much more vulnerable themselves, pushing them to talk now. Like Trump, they will be a step closer to Putin, unlike Trump they have an extremely valuable bargaining chip to lower their ultimate punishment if they agree to assist Mueller. Trump, being the head of the crime family doesn’t enjoy such a luxury. Again, Trump expects ironclad loyalty, as he sees it slipping away, he will be left on his own, possibly Kushner, maybe even Don Jr. It could well be that Kushner and Don Jr. see that Mueller has all the goods anyway, and that “turning” really isn’t going to hurt Trump anymore than he’s already cooked, so why not?
With respect to the third impact, it also creates pure gold to destroy the “witch hunt” accusation. If Kushner and/or Don Jr. turns and agrees to testify to lessen their punishment, the Right really has no leg to stand on in their absurd assertion that it’s all a witch hunt.
This is no small thing. Republican pols are still willing to protect Trump to appease their base. If the support of the base erodes just 10% it will be devastating to pols that keep hiding Trump, motivating them to finally acknowledge the reality that they nominated a criminal who just happened to be the most racially biased person in the race. That simply cannot be argued, there wasn’t the least difference between all the candidates on any other issue, voters and pols went to Trump because he had no time for P.C. and flirted with the KKK. It will finally be dangerous to continue the blind support of a man so obviously out for himself alone, putting the United States in danger.
The American political system is getting a makeover: Thank you Mr. Mueller.