Donald Trump, Russia, Paul Manafort, and Facebook all connected to the rigged election in Michigan

In the ten-plus months since a shocking 2016 election result which on its face couldn’t possibly have been legitimate, various dots have emerged in need of connecting. For instance, it was long ago revealed that Paul Manafort told Donald Trump to campaign in Michigan just before the election (link) – and then Trump impossibly won Michigan. How did Manafort know? Who had rigged what behind the scenes? And how did Trump know to take Manafort’s bizarre advice? Now we finally know what was really going on.

It’s now being reported that Russia was running divisive and dishonest Facebook ads in Michigan, which were specifically targeted at the same kind of voters Trump was targeting with his last minute campaigning in the state (link). So now the dots begin to fit together. Manafort had been in the employ of a Putin-connected Russian oligarch for years. Manafort tried to use his position as Trump campaign chair to curry favor with that oligarch.

Paul Manafort

Now all that’s left is to prove what is strongly suspected: that it was in fact the Kremlin who told Manafort to tell Trump to go Michigan, and that Manafort told Trump why he knew Michigan was winnable. In fact it’s long been suspected that Trump went to Michigan at the last minute simply as a way to explain his Russia-rigged “victory” there. Now we know that Russia did indeed rig the state in Trump’s favor.

It’s worth keeping in mind that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has generally been a step ahead of public knowledge throughout his investigation into Donald Trump’s Russia scandal. So even as a revelation like this one surfaces in the headlines, Mueller is likely already knee deep into tracking down proof that all of the above was more than a remarkable coincidence. In any case, if you immediately knew Trump’s “victory” in Michigan was illegitimate, you’re looking more vindicated by the day.