1. There's a lot of news today, but as Americans vote, they should keep in mind that Trump tried to intervene in a criminal investigation to please a foreign leader.

2. It's not the first time we have heard about him trying to pressure @TheJusticeDept and @FBI to back off his friends and family list. Erdogan was on it for awhile.

That's not how democracies work.

3. In this case, Trump tried to pressure DOJ to back off of their investigation into a Turkish bank accused of violating Iran sanctions.

Why? Because Erdogan wanted him too.

4. According to @nytimes Trump has significant business interests in Turkey and was generally focused on pleasing Erdogan even if, in this case, it meant letting an Iran sanctions buster off the hook and bastardizing our system of checks and balances https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/us/politics/trump-erdogan-halkbank.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

5. Erdogan had tried this gambit before, including with Biden/ Obama. He also tried to get Obama to send Gulen back to Turkey.

6. Trump fell for Erdogan's entreaties, potentially bc of his own personal business interests or because he has an insatiable need to cozy up to authoritarian leaders. he didn't care about the impact on his maximum pressure campaign on Iran nor about the impact on our democracy.

7. Barr and Whitaker appear to be willing foot soldiers, and this should be investigated.

8. Anyone who swears an oath to uphold the constitution, including the President of the United States, should not be inappropriately intervening in criminal investigations, especially on behalf of a foreign despot.