President 'The Donald' Trump and Surprising Consequences - Mod warning in OP

KingBrian2

Akrasia wrote: »

If it was just a drive to bring Russia into the western fold, that would be great, but Trump is actively promoting the breakup of the EU, picking fights with Mexico, China, Iran, Australia.... While downplaying Russian crimes and endorsing Putin at every opportunity

So it is okay to pick a fight with Russia but it is belligerent to pick a fight with Iran & China.

Christy42

As an aside it looks like Trudeau had training to deal with Trump's random pull during a handshake. I really hope it was someone's job to copy Trump's handshake for the Canadian Prime Minister to practise with. Quite amusing but I suppose it sends a bit of a message to Trump that he can't bully Justin. It is a bloody weird thing that Trump does on the handshake in general.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/13/trudeau-trump-handshake-yank_n_14723436.html

MightyMandarin

For anyone who supports Trump around here, I'd love to know what you think of this.

This journalist asked him a fairly straightforward question: Is the northern border secure?

His answer goes on a wild journey like this: Sec. Kelly is doing a good job->Hardened criminals are being driven out -> I won by a very large electoral college vote -> I'm fulfilling my promise to get the criminals out -> A lot of people are very happy right now.

So in a 90sec answer about how he plans to secure the northern border and not once is the word 'Canada' even uttered. Now I'm not giving out as, quite frankly, the northern border isn't even an issue, but I'm just curious as to how you think he can function well as president, when his answers are just rambles and rambles of words.

Do you think his mind works in the same way he answers?

Christy42

MightyMandarin wrote: »

For anyone who supports Trump around here, I'd love to know what you think of this.

This journalist asked him a fairly straightforward question: Is the northern border secure?

His answer goes on a wild journey like this: Sec. Kelly is doing a good job->Hardened criminals are being driven out -> I won by a very large electoral college vote -> I'm fulfilling my promise to get the criminals out -> A lot of people are very happy right now.

So in a 90sec answer about how he plans to secure the northern border and not once is the word 'Canada' even uttered. Now I'm not giving out as, quite frankly, the northern border isn't even an issue, but I'm just curious as to how you think he can function well as president, when his answers are just rambles and rambles of words.

Do you think his mind works in the same way he answers?

This is the same man who in a recent post (can't remember if it was this thread or not) was described as cutting through the buzz phrases and straight to the truth.

foxtrot101

MightyMandarin wrote: »

For anyone who supports Trump around here, I'd love to know what you think of this.



This journalist asked him a fairly straightforward question: Is the northern border secure?

His answer goes on a wild journey like this: Sec. Kelly is doing a good job->Hardened criminals are being driven out -> I won by a very large electoral college vote -> I'm fulfilling my promise to get the criminals out -> A lot of people are very happy right now.

So in a 90sec answer about how he plans to secure the northern border and not once is the word 'Canada' even uttered. Now I'm not giving out as, quite frankly, the northern border isn't even an issue, but I'm just curious as to how you think he can function well as president, when his answers are just rambles and rambles of words.

Do you think his mind works in the same way he answers?

He's totally incapable of sequential thought.

Water John

Brain fart comes to mind.

MightyMandarin

foxtrot101 wrote: »

He's totally incapable of sequential thought.

I dunno. I mean some might claim that it's classic politician deflection, but the generic answer here is something like "US and Canada get on very well, I have faith in PM Trudeau blah blah blah".

It genuinely seems like he just cannot hold his attention to one single topic at a time, he just lives off of buzzwords and headlines.

Maybe it's from watching the endless amount of cable news he's known to watch but it just seems...interesting.

RobertKK

General Michael Flynn has resigned as National Security Adviser.

No surprise really given the mounting pressure, the meeting with the Russians, that he misled the administration and the suggestions he was open to blackmail.

Hank Scorpio

RobertKK wrote: »

General Michael Flynn has resigned as National Security Adviser.

No surprise really given the mounting pressure, the meeting with the Russians, that he misled the administration and the suggestions he was open to blackmail.

Tyre has been pierced so. Media will be insanity tomorrow.

There must be more to it other than just talking about sanctions.

Word is Priebus is going to get the boot soon.

RobertKK

The claims are Flynn was asked by Pence what he could remember about what he said to the Russian ambassador and he told Pence that he could not remember.
It is being said the White House do not want a National Security Adviser with a bad memory - as the excuse for the sacking/resignation.

Peregrinus

Hank Scorpio wrote: »

Word is Priebus is going to going to get the boot soon.

The President cannot fire the Vice-President. Unless the VP agrees to resign, the only way to remove him is by impeachment in Congress. And Priebus hasn't done anything which could conceivably be treated as grounds for impeachment.

RobertKK

Hank Scorpio wrote: »

Tyre has been pierced so. Media will be insanity tomorrow.

There must be more to it other than just talking about sanctions.

Word is Priebus is going to going to get the boot soon.

Yeah they are saying Priebus and Kellyanne are on the chopping board too.

One can speculate that Flynn was highly compromised.

RobertKK

Peregrinus wrote: »

The President cannot fire the Vice-President. Unless the VP agrees to resign, the only way to remove him is by impeachment in Congress. And Priebus hasn't done anything which could conceivably be treated as grounds for impeachment.

There is no question over VP Mike Pence.
Priebus is the White House chief of staff.

Peregrinus

RobertKK wrote: »

Yeah they are saying Priebus and Kellyanne are on the chopping board too.

One can speculate that Flynn was highly compromised.

Priebus is hard to get rid of, for the reason already pointed out.

Kellyanne Conway, on the other hand, has been identified for some time as a likely early casualty. She hasn't performed well, coming up with the "alternative facts" gaffe and the "go buy Ivanka's stuff!" gaffe. And word is that right from the get-go she was unhappy about being given a position junior to Sean Spicer and an office a long way from the President, which was not what she had expected. So, she's not that happy; they're not that happy with her. The only reason she's still there is that firing her so soon would itself be embarrassing to the administration. But, still, I'd be keeping the CV oiled and fuelled and ready for action, if I were her.

Zubeneschamali

RobertKK wrote: »

No surprise really given the mounting pressure, the meeting with the Russians, that he misled the administration and the suggestions he was open to blackmail.

Come off it, he did not mislead the Administration, they knew all about his links to the Russians. He is just taking one for the team.

Edit: Some stories are reporting that he explicitly lied to Pence, who maybe did not know. But I don't believe for a second that Trump didn't know.

Kermit.de.frog

Trump must have authorised Flynn on the call. Awkward. WH knew he was compromised since January and did nothing.

Trump has questions to answer here. Media will be like a pack of starved and taunted lions seeing meat for the first time in 3 months.

Akrasia

Trump knows all the best people (and words) but after only a few weeks in office, his national security advisor has stepped down in disgrace and there's a queue forming at the p45 office.

Trump supporters, this can't be what you voted for can it?

Peregrinus

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Trump must have authorised Flynn on the call. Awkward.

To my lasting regret, there is no "must" about it. Trump is not a details man.

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Media will be like a pack of starved and taunted lions seeing meat for the first time in 3 months.

On the contrary, the media have been feasting on a rich and varied diet since Inauguration Day. The Trump regime so far as been a parade of follies, embarrassments and stuff-ups. Errors which in other circumstances would be headline news for weeks are daily eclipsed by still more egregious errors, and there is no situation so bad that Donald cannot make it worse with an ill-judged, ill-timed tweet.

Hank Scorpio

Trump should be very concerned about "anonymous" Intel sources leaking non stop to the media.

swampgas

Hank Scorpio wrote: »

Trump should be very concerned about "anonymous" Intel sources leaking non stop to the media.

The bigger issue is that there is so much troublesome material to leak. In fact I'd argue that the leaks are a good thing, it's one of the few ways to make Trump accountable.

listermint

This week will be awesome

Peregrinus

Hank Scorpio wrote: »

Trump should be very concerned about "anonymous" Intel sources leaking non stop to the media.

Trump's own people leak furiously to the media, and Trump can't but be aware that this creates a climate where leaks generally are more likely on all sides. Plus, Trumps passive-aggressive cyberbulling through tweets creates a strong incentive for people to defend themselves through deniable leaks. If Trump doesn't want leaks, he should try to create an environment that doesn't incentivize leaking.

BabyCheeses

Another person gone due to ties with Russia. But of course it is insanity to suggest Russia being involved with anything.

listermint

Supposedly Flynn told the Russian ambassador to not respond to obamas sanctions last year and bide their time till trump got in.

Within days trump tweets I knew that Putin was a smart guy to not respond to obamas sanctions.

If that's not damming evidence that trump knew everything that was going on well....

Hank Scorpio

swampgas wrote: »

The bigger issue is that there is so much troublesome material to leak. In fact I'd argue that the leaks are a good thing, it's one of the few ways to make Trump accountable.

Working in an environment where you can't trust people or make a phone call because it might be made public isn't a good thing. It's been obvious since the inauguration powerful people within are plotting and want him gone. He needs to sort it out quickly if he has any hope of staying on top of things.

Flynn messed up doubly by not being honest with Pence, he did the right thing in resigning.

wildgreen

Hank Scorpio wrote: »

He needs to sort it out quickly if he has any hope of staying on top of things.

On top of things? Looks like a classic case of schoolyard bully turned mouse with the intelligence agencies running the show. Unlikely he will issue a new Executive Order this week now even as a distraction ploy because if the courts stop it a second time he will have lost credibility. America in decline!

Hank Scorpio

wildgreen wrote: »

On top of things? Looks like a classic case of schoolyard bully turned mouse with the intelligence agencies running the show. Unlikely he will issue a new Executive Order this week now even as a distraction ploy because if the courts stop it a second time he will have lost credibility. America in decline!

Think what you want. The FBI cleared Flynn of any wrongdoing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-reviewed-flynns-calls-with-russian-ambassador-but-found-nothing-illicit/2017/01/23/aa83879a-e1ae-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?utm_term=.8a24c893c1cf#comments

Weeks later the call logs were leaked to the WSJ and others which they sensationalized then the media went on a sh/tstorm looking for blood. This lead to huge pressure because Pence had repeated what Flynn had said publicly. That's why he resigned.

whatstherush

Hank Scorpio wrote: »

Think what you want. The FBI cleared Flynn of any wrongdoing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-reviewed-flynns-calls-with-russian-ambassador-but-found-nothing-illicit/2017/01/23/aa83879a-e1ae-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html?utm_term=.8a24c893c1cf#comments

Weeks later the call logs were leaked to the WSJ and others which they sensationalized then the media went on a sh/tstorm looking for blood. This lead to huge pressure because Pence had repeated what Flynn had said publicly. That's why he resigned.

Good man Hank! Think there is a dam out in California that needs a lend of your finger

Hank Scorpio

whatstherush wrote: »

Good man Hank! Think there is a dam out in California that needs a lend of your finger

Still holding strong for the most part but heavy leaking :pac:

wonderfullife

RobertKK wrote: »

The claims are Flynn was asked by Pence what he could remember about what he said to the Russian ambassador and he told Pence that he could not remember.

Just to clarify and simplify this whole debacle:

Acting Attorney General Sally Yates informed the White House 3 weeks ago that she felt Flynn had lied to VP Pence. CIA Director Brennan supported her.

Trump knew 3 weeks ago that Flynn had lied.

He wasn't fired for lying to VP Pence. He was fired because people leaked proof he was lying.

Also, anybody believing that fairytale also must, by proxy, believe in unicorns and the tooth fairy.

Trump knew all along, in fact it's inconceivable he didn't instruct Flynn in the first place.

Here's how it likely went down:

Obama - New sanctions, deport Russian spies.

Trump - Oi, Flynn, whatsapp the Russian Ambassador and tell him to chill I'll remove the sanctions in a month.

Flynn - Already done.

That would have been the start and end of it other than:

1. The CIA/NSA had the knives out for Flynn (& Trump).
2. Flynn is a moron who thought he wouldn't get caught.
3. White House is leakier than a Golden Shower.

Also, I'm increasingly worried for life of Christopher Steele. That dossier he compiled of raw intelligence is looking increasingly legit for some time now. Some of it is probably hearsay but he's been backed up now on 3 separate occasions of things he predicted, including the transfer of 19% of that company.

The scandal won't bring down Trump.

What it will do, however, is increase the pace of Putin's aggression in Ukraine and eastern Europe. He knows Trump is on thin ice so he'll move hard and fast in the next 4 to 5 months and claim as much territory as possible before the GOP have enough of Trump.

Also expect a US - Iran war before summer, as that'll be the only distraction left for Trump to turn to.