“Like a mad experiment proving the elasticity of time, the Trump era has confounded our temporal sensibilities. The past seven days have witnessed the hostile questioning of an F.B.I. agent by Republican members of the House of Representatives intent on exonerating the Trump campaign from the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation; Mueller’s indictment of twelve Russian intelligence officials on charges of interfering in the 2016 election; a bizarre set of exchanges between Donald Trump and NATO; a visit to the United Kingdom, during which the President insulted Prime Minister Theresa May; a press conference in Helsinki, in which he all but offered President Vladimir Putin a foot massage; and the arrest of a Russian woman with ties to the National Rifle Association on charges of espionage.

This level of intrigue would be overwrought for a season of “Homeland”; as a moment in our national affairs it is vertigo-inducing.”

— Jelani Cobb, “In Celebrating Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama Indicts Trumpism,” The New Yorker. After the above was published, news broke of the Cohen/Trump tapes—Cohen recording Trump talking hush money for Playboy model Karen MacDougal prior to the 2016 election—as well as Trump's invite to Putin to arrive in this country. Plus whatever the fuck happened today.