>
Article snippet: WASHINGTON — At his Mar-a-Lago private club over the Thanksgiving weekend, President Trump appeared happy and relaxed, relieved to be away from the stresses of Washington. His mind was partly on the Russia investigation that had irritated him for months. But he insisted to friends that it would soon wrap up and clear him of wrongdoing. A week later, the guilty plea of his former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, seemed to shatter that hopeful prediction. The investigation hardly seems close to ending, and news that Mr. Flynn is cooperating with prosecutors sent shivers through Mr. Trump’s team. While the legal danger remains uncertain, the investigation, at the very least, has wrought grievous political damage to his presidency. The fall of Mr. Flynn, who was once so close to Mr. Trump that he was considered a viable prospect to be his vice-presidential running mate, came on a day that should have been a moment of triumph for the president. After months of stymied ambitions on Capitol Hill, he appeared to have secured enough votes to pass his tax cut plan in the Senate, advancing what, if it ultimately reaches his desk, will be his most far-reaching legislative accomplishment since he took office. In the end, the tax plan may resonate more powerfully with the public than the legal woes of a former presidential aide; at least Mr. Trump’s team hopes so. But for the moment, at least, watching one of their own hauled before a judge dampened any celebration... Link to the full article to read more