Well, first off, that he should stop being so stupid. Any situations of witness tampering are particularly idiotic crimes in that they are quite easy for law enforcement to detect while also being regarded with immense seriousness by the courts. Adding these crimes to the charge sheet also allows Mueller to degrade Manafort’s credibility in any jury trial that follows. If Manafort somehow avoids having his bail revoked at a scheduled court hearing next Friday, he should sit at home, strategize with his attorneys and wait for trial. He should not keep making matters worse for himself.

What does this mean for Trump?

Not much at the moment, because none of the new charges against Manafort involve collusion with Russia. Speaking on Friday morning, the president swatted back questions on whether he plans to pardon Manafort. Still, the president’s recent pardoning spree does suggest an effort to warn Mueller that he will protect those who have served him loyally. The special counsel almost certainly — although not necessarily — wants Manafort to cooperate with its investigation in return for a reduced sentence. Trump, of course, does not want that cooperation because it might jeopardize his own legal position or the position of those close to him, notably Donald Trump Jr.

So what comes next?

Expect more Mueller indictments against different individuals, expect to see the name Felix Sater in the news quite a lot more, and expect greater Mueller pressure on Trump’s inner circle. Also expect Trump and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani to continue their efforts to discredit Mueller’s investigation in the Colosseum of partisan opinion. Trump wants the people to believe that the Department of Justice has become a Democratic Party organ dedicated to the destruction of the GOP. He will do all he can to push that message forwards.