Dangers of a Trump Presidency--Part 7

[topaz]

The agreement with the Trump admin and Mexico is abhorrent. The U.S. bullying countries and demanding they change laws to benefit US interests is BS.

 

[ballettmaus]

Prosecutors have asked a judge to file "classified information" in the case against the Chinese woman who gained illegal access to Mar-a-Lago in March.

With classified filing, feds eye national security case against Mar-a-lago intruder

U.S. attorneys filed a motion to seal classified evidence in the case against Yujing Zhang, indicating the case involves matters of national security.

www.miamiherald.com

 

[Vash01]

DOJ wants the WH to assert executive privilege if Cummings doesn't move off of his contempt vote that is scheduled for tomorrow. Apparently, the WH also asserted executive privilege over the whole Mueller report. I think I remember reading something about that but then something else happened... In any case, can the WH really use executive privilege like that? What are Congress' options to fight it?

DOJ, Cummings trade last-minute offers amid contempt impasse

Last week, the DOJ and Commerce Department rejected<b> </b>House Democrats’ subpoenas<b> </b>for additional documents.

www.politico.com

Sounds like blackmail to me. I guess they call this ‘negotiation ‘

 

[Aussie Willy]

The agreement with the Trump admin and Mexico is abhorrent. The U.S. bullying countries and demanding they change laws to benefit US interests is BS.

The US has been doing for years. They get away with it and it has become part of the culture of the country. So I wouldn't expect anything less.

 

[ballettmaus]

Trump says he'd take dirt on an opponent if it came from a foreign power. He says it's not interference and he'd not inform the FBI that he was aproached. I'm totally shocked. Or something.

'I think I’d take it': In exclusive interview, Trump says he would listen if foreigners offered dirt on opponents

In an ABC News exclusive, President Donald Trump said he may not alert the FBI to overtures from foreign governments during the 2020 race.

abcnews.go.com

 

[BlueRidge]

Trump says he'd take dirt on an opponent if it came from a foreign power. He says it's not interference and he'd not inform the FBI that he was aproached. I'm totally shocked. Or something.

'I think I’d take it': In exclusive interview, Trump says he would listen if foreigners offered dirt on opponents

In an ABC News exclusive, President Donald Trump said he may not alert the FBI to overtures from foreign governments during the 2020 race.

abcnews.go.com

or something

Even though one knows with Trump, one still hopes he won't be a total fool, but always he is. This is really insulting to the entire country that he has to say crap like this because otherwise it might be an acknowledgement that something not quite right happened in 2016.

Though in this case one suspects that unusually Trump is telling the truth.

 

[Vagabond]

Trump says he'd take dirt on an opponent if it came from a foreign power. He says it's not interference and he'd not inform the FBI that he was aproached. I'm totally shocked. Or something.

And, of course, he has no memory of any similar situation having occurred in the past.

Though in this case one suspects that unusually Trump is telling the truth.

Perhaps he did so inadvertently.

 

[Vash01]

Trump says he'd take dirt on an opponent if it came from a foreign power. He says it's not interference and he'd not inform the FBI that he was aproached. I'm totally shocked. Or something.

'I think I’d take it': In exclusive interview, Trump says he would listen if foreigners offered dirt on opponents

In an ABC News exclusive, President Donald Trump said he may not alert the FBI to overtures from foreign governments during the 2020 race.

abcnews.go.com

That is shocking, even by Trump’s low low standards. If the republicans don’t condemn this, they must be considered complicit.

Utterly disgraceful.

 

[ballettmaus]

That is shocking, even by Trump’s low low standards. If the republicans don’t condemn this, they must be considered complicit.

Utterly disgraceful.

The reason why I don't find it shocking is because Mueller found that the Trump campaign expected to benefit from Russia's help and that they were receptive to some of what they offered and they didn't face any real consequences for it. So, Trump probably doesn't see any reason why he shouldn't do it again or why he should hide it.

 

[Vash01]

Why is Mueller resisting appearance before Congress so my Heart? The Dems have been negotiating with him for a long time. Why does he even have a choice? If you are called for questioning, you just appear. That’s hiw it is normally done. Now all norms are out the window? Whether he is the special counsel or an ordinary citizen, it really shouldn’t matter.

 

[Susan1]

Trump says he'd take dirt on an opponent if it came from a foreign power. He says it's not interference and he'd not inform the FBI that he was aproached. I'm totally shocked. Or something.

'I think I’d take it': In exclusive interview, Trump says he would listen if foreigners offered dirt on opponents

In an ABC News exclusive, President Donald Trump said he may not alert the FBI to overtures from foreign governments during the 2020 race.

abcnews.go.com

We've been through this before - I don't know anything about it -- I didn't do it -- if I did, it's not illegal -- everybody does it...................
He basically confessed to collusion and said he would do it again.
I will not watch any interview with trump, so excuse me if this was in there. I have seen the clip every half hour now, and I keep thinking - did he ask trump if it's o.k. if the dems do it too? He couldn't call Hillary crooked anymore. Or Comey. What about the "spying". That must be o.k. too. But, no, he's the only one who gets away with crimes against the country and nobody does anything about it. How many times have I said that I couldn't believe this is actually the president of the United States. How much worse can this get?

 

[mag]

did he ask trump if it's o.k. if the dems do it too? He couldn't call Hillary crooked anymore. Or Comey. What about the "spying". That must be o.k. too.

This! Someone should really ask him that.

 

[Susan1]

This! Someone should really ask him that.

Thanks. And what about the Steele dossier? Oppo research. He can't complain about that. All of the investigations into his wrongdoings they are doing now? That shouldn't be a problem for him either. No one is above the law.

 

[skatesindreams]

Not only does the President believe that he is "above the law"; he believes that he IS the law!

 

[clairecloutier]

Sobering view of a French diplomat who is retiring after 20 years working in the U.S. at the United Nations and as a diplomat to the U.S. government:

The World Grows More Dangerous by the Day

Opinion | The World Grows More Dangerous by the Day

Parting thoughts from a French diplomat as he leaves America.

www.nytimes.com

 

[ballettmaus]

He couldn't call Hillary crooked anymore.

That's different. (It's also different that basically his entire cabinet and senior advisors use personal email and WhatsApp which was just reported to have a major security flaw. (And wasn't safe to begin with) Isn't it amazing how Trump is calling Kushner crooked every day and how the MSM is all over that and we're never going to hear the end of it. )

Not only does the President believe that he is "above the law"; he believes that he IS the law!

Why wouldn't he? Nothing's happening that would discourage him from doing that.

From the moment this administration started breaking laws, these laws should have been enforced, regardless how minor or obscure they were. Otherwise, this was always bound to happen. If they get away with breaking one law, they're try again and they'll push the boundaries and they'll escalate. (Kind of like a child who starts testing limits at a certain age. If you don't enforce boundaries and rules then more often than not, it gets worse and worse until the child ends up in control.)


And what I find most amazing is that the administration now tries to tell us that Trump said something he didn't say. How could anyone believe they heard something they didn't hear? (I know it's possible, it's how propaganda works but still. I don't understand how that can be).

 

[ballettmaus]

Republicans seem to be chickening out of interviews.

A GOP lawmaker just canceled an interview with us this hour. I was going to ask about the president’s comments on accepting foreign campaign help. Still awaiting comment from a sitting Republican lawmaker. Anyone willing to answer this basic question, we will put you on our air.

https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/1139170124282417153

(Graham has now given a statement in which he said the answer to foreign help should be no but then he made up for it by going on about the Steele dossier).

 

[ballettmaus]

The House Oversight Committee voted to hold Barr and Ross in contempt for their refusal to comply with subpoenas regarding the citizenship question.

House Oversight votes to hold Barr, Ross in contempt over census dispute

edition.cnn.com

Cummings told CNN on Tuesday that he's not sure what the next step after his committee would be and if he'd push for a full House vote.
"We will decide that when the time comes," Cummings said of next steps.

Statements like these are what give me the impression that they have no long-term plans and are playing it by ear rather than having a strategy to fight this administration and the President. And it frustrates me because every time they don't have a contingency plan, they waste precious time and every time they waste time, they help Trump.

 

[Simone411]

Here is what Nancy Pelosi discussed about impeachment on May 7th, 2019.

Pelosi: 'Trump is goading us to impeach him'.

“Trump is goading us to impeach him,” the California Democrat said during an event in New York City hosted by the Cornell University Institute of Politics and Global Affairs.

“That’s what he’s doing,” she said. “Every single day he’s just like taunting, taunting, taunting because he knows that it would be very divisive in the country, but he doesn’t really care. He just wants to solidify his base.”

She has now on multiple occasions noted that the third article of impeachment filed against former President Richard Nixon was about him ignoring subpoenas from Congress.

“That could be part of an impeachable offense,” Pelosi said of Trump doing the same. “Every day he’s obstructing justice by saying this one shouldn’t testify, that one shouldn’t testify and the rest. So he’s making a case, but he’s just trying to goad us into impeachment.”

And she is correct. This recent fiasco is just another attempt by Trump to taunt the Democrats to impeach him. He knows what he stated this time could be enough for Nancy Pelosi to consider impeachment procedures. He knew it would cause disagreement and hostility when he said he would accept information from a foreign government about an opponent, and would consider not informing the FBI.

That's his whole purpose. He knows how divisive it would be. So he is continuing to taunt and goad. He's wanting them to impeach him so his followers will become hostile over it. That is why he also stated that all the polls with Biden ahead wasn't true, and it was "fake" news.

This is just my opinion, but I truly believe that Trump does know what he's doing. He's continuing the taunting because he knows how divisive it would be if impeachment procedures began.

 

[BlueRidge]

a little schadenfraude:

Office of Special Counsel recommends removal of Kellyanne Conway from federal office for violating the Hatch Act

 

[skatesindreams]

George Will's view:

George Will: Trump's 'public and constant' damage to country worse than Nixon's

Conservative columnist and Republican Party ex-pat George Will slammed President Donald Trump on Thursday for causing more damage to the United States than former President Richard Nixon.

www.cnn.com

 

[ballettmaus]

a little schadenfraude:

Office of Special Counsel recommends removal of Kellyanne Conway from federal office for violating the Hatch Act

Nothing's going to happen to her, so I think the joke is on us.

 

[caseyedwards]

I don’t understand and it can never really be satisfactorily explained why democrats don’t want to impeach trump and put him on trial!! That they prefer to be outraged rather than all say let’s use the power we were given to impeach trump and put him on trial. Americans voted for that. Democrats won the house on it

 

[Susan1]

a little schadenfraude:

Office of Special Counsel recommends removal of Kellyanne Conway from federal office for violating the Hatch Act

Is this a new incident? I've heard them mention it before.

Back to trump: he admitted that he needs outside help to defeat his opponent. Yeah, we know. Then he acts like there are only 6 FBI agents in the whole world; they would be too busy to investigate foreign contacts? Well, if he keeps badmouthing them like he has been doing for three years, maybe they won't investigate a threat on his life or something he cares about because they are too busy.

This is just my opinion, but I truly believe that Trump does know what he's doing. He's continuing the taunting because he knows how divisive it would be if impeachment procedures began.

I'm more thinking that he doesn't. Someone else is telling him what to do and say to have a chance at winning. He repeats simple things over and over like he was told to memorize a script. And then goes off script and they are all going ; why'd he say that.

 

[Vagabond]

Nothing's going to happen to her, so I think the joke is on us.

But at least we can imagine what George and Kellyanne Conway say to each other when their children are not around.

 

[rfisher]

The Prince of Whales. He really, really should get a Twitter editor.

 

[Buzz]

The US is blaming Iran for two new attacks against oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. This administration wants a war with Iran so badly that I am not sure I trust what they are saying. I think they are seeing what they want to see.

Iran calls US oil tanker accusation 'unfounded'

The US secretary of state blamed Iran for "unprovoked attacks" on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

www.bbc.com

 

[Vagabond]

The Prince of Whales. He really, really should get a Twitter editor.

It would be better if Twitter canceled his account for violating its Terms of Service.

 

[skipaway]

Trump just tweeted that Sarah Huckabee Sanders is leaving her job as Press Secretary and heading back to Arkansas.
Good riddance. I can’t wait to see who hires her next.
Ouch, the rest of the tweet says she maybe running for Governor of Arkansas. Poor Arkanas

 

[skatesindreams]

Good riddance.

I'm afraid of who will be his next "mouthpiece"; even as I'm relieved that she is gone!