for others, it was a president cracking under the weight of a scandal he insists is built on “untrue and sensationalist claims.”
As the Justice Department drip-feeds tens of thousands of pages while acknowledging millions more remain sealed, distrust only deepens.
Supporters see a smear campaign that would have been “weaponized” already if it were real. Skeptics see power shielding itself.
Between them stands a country staring at a grainy video, trying to decide what — and who — to believe.