Donald Trump Presidency discussion thread II

Billy86

In other news, "repeal now, replace later" has apparently already collapsed as a plan.

DaniilKharms

Billy86 wrote: »

In other news, "repeal now, replace later" has apparently already collapsed as a plan.

Oh yeah, dead as a dodo.

Trump has already said today Republicans should just let Obamacare collapse.

Professor Moriarty

DaniilKharms wrote: »

Oh yeah, dead as a dodo.

Trump has already said today Republicans should just let Obamacare collapse.

The resulting chaos should win the GOP a lot of votes in 2018.

DaniilKharms

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

The resulting chaos should win the GOP a lot of votes in 2018.

In a normal world I'd say that was sarcasm, and feel pretty confident...

but these days....

ECO_Mental

Billy86 wrote: »

Even until a few weeks ago I would have been very skeptical on the whole "Manchurian candidate planned years in advance" talk and figured the Russians just saw him as an easy target and corrupt enough to cause some mayhem with when he got some traction in the Republican primaries. Now however, I'm a good deal more open to that thought.

Rob Goldstone who organised the meeting was also at that party in Russia; there is a video of them all at it on youtube (posted it a few days back).

Did you look at the documentary on Netflix "get me Rodger Stone" he had been grooming Trump for years he even had him run a fake presidential campaign for the reform party (back n early 90s I think) just to F**k up the other candidate as they were taking GOP votes.

It was a real eye opener that documentary ye should watch it. Rodger Stone started lying to win when he was 13 in school. In a fake school election project, he said that the Dem candidate was going to extend the school year and it worked.....that started his career lying and dirty tricks all to win. It's all about winning which you have to admire at one level (a very low level).

DaniilKharms

ECO_Mental wrote: »

Did you look at the documentary on Netflix "get me Rodger Stone" he had been grooming Trump for years he even had him run a fake presidential campaign for the reform party (back n early 90s I think) just to F**k up the other candidate as they were taking GOP votes.

It was a real eye opener that documentary ye should watch it. Rodger Stone started lying to win when he was 13 in school. In a fake school election project, he said that the Dem candidate was going to extend the school year and it worked.....that started his career lying and dirty tricks all to win. It's all about winning which you have to admire at one level (a very low level).

I watched that until they shoehorned in an Ed Sheeran cameo.

Talk about selling out!

Billy86

DaniilKharms wrote: »

I watched that until they shoehorned in an Ed Sheeran cameo.

Talk about selling out!

It's not a good week to bring up Ed Sheeran cameos.

Professor Moriarty

Billy86 wrote: »

It's not a good week to bring up Ed Sheeran cameos.

No Spoilers! I have it taped.

Billy86

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

No Spoilers! I have it taped.

Joffrey came back and he's pregnant with Jon Snow's baby.

Anyway apologies for veering off topic despite the "watch the world burn" similarities... back on topic, Mueller has said Junior and Manafort can testify publicly - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN1A31VZ .

Overheal

https://www.facebook.com/actdottv/videos/658182714372298/

I love golf, but if I were in the White House, I don't think I'd ever see Turnberry again, I don't think I'd ever see Doral again — I own Doral in Miami — I don't think I'd ever see many of the places that I have. I don't ever think I'd see anything — I just wanna stay in the White House and work my ass off, make great deals, right? Who's gonna leave?

StringerBell

Billy86 wrote: »

About post number five:

He's [Mitch McConnell] married to a Chinese whore too. Didn't any of you know that? It's not enough just keeping foreigners from holding office, we should remove anyone who marries one too.

So much temptation to join just to post a screenshot of Melania's wikipedia page showing her place of birth as Slovenia. :pac:

Done, and done.

DaniilKharms

StringerBell wrote: »

Done, and done.

hahahahahahahahhaa

GLP is gonna rue the day I told Boards about them...

In fact they're probably all trying to figure out who you all are now.

There's a secret forum within the forum that a lot of the paying nutters use and if you pay attention long enough you'll see them squirrelling away, looking for enemies online.

If you haven't clicked on the main forum....

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/

The goggles, they do nothing.

StringerBell

Ah sure, worst comes to worst I can close the account, no personal links on it.......though if you don't hear from me for a while they will have clearly gotten to me!

Inquitus

Trump admits to 2nd meeting with Putin at G20 with just Trump, Putin and Putin's translator, breaking National Security guidelines.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/342589-ian-bremmer-trump-and-putin-held-second-informal-meeting-during-g-20

Overheal

Bombshell report confirmed by WH staff, Trump had a second, informal off books meeting at the G20 with Vladimir Putin. It was for an hour, and the only other soul in the room was Putin's translator. Nobody from our side was involved, which The Hill notes is a massive national security no no.

Trump will have an ever more challenging time glossing this one over.

Can we impeach him already?

LeinsterDub

Watching on cnn now. Meeting is a bit of a stretch in fairness

LeinsterDub

Overheal wrote: »

Bombshell report confirmed by WH staff, Trump had a second, informal off books meeting at the G20 with Vladimir Putin. It was for an hour, and the only other soul in the room was Putin's translator. Nobody from our side was involved, which The Hill notes is a massive national security no no.

Trump will have an ever more challenging time glossing this one over.

Can we impeach him already?

There was entire table of people in the room

Billy86

LeinsterDub wrote: »

There was entire table of people in the room

That was Trump Jr's collusion and sanctions meeting that had eight people, haven't had the chance to look at this one myself yet though.

DaniilKharms

We'll see in 5 days what the story is.

God knows this one is bound to change.

LeinsterDub

Billy86 wrote: »

That was Trump Jr's collusion and sanctions meeting that had eight people, haven't had the chance to look at this one myself yet though.

No the secondary Trump Snr - Putin meeting was at a dinner party. Now I'm not sure of the policy here but surely past presidents have spoken at such events. This story as it stands is bs

aloyisious

Not sure if this is actual new news. Fox is reporting that a few moments ago [its words] that Mitch has announced there will be a repeal vote in the Senate next week/ Rand Paul on now saying he won't vote for a new bill because the insurance industry is ruining healthcare with it's prices, it doesn't deserve any tax money. He has said he will vote YES for repeal in the vote next week.

aloyisious

Overheal wrote: »

Bombshell report confirmed by WH staff, Trump had a second, informal off books meeting at the G20 with Vladimir Putin. It was for an hour, and the only other soul in the room was Putin's translator. Nobody from our side was involved, which The Hill notes is a massive national security no no.

Trump will have an ever more challenging time glossing this one over.

Can we impeach him already?

Is that when his daughter was sitting in for him?

Fox news just reporting that story now

Edit: Fox now saying it was when Vlad and Don were at a table together with two others [photo'd in back of room where the other G20 leaders were] and Ivanka was sitting in for him out front.

mcmoustache

LeinsterDub wrote: »

No the secondary Trump Snr - Putin meeting was at a dinner party. Now I'm not sure of the policy here but surely past presidents have spoken at such events. This story as it stands is bs

I'd be inclined to reserve judgement on this. If it was just two people talking at dinner, then this would be overblown.

If there was any attempt to hide it, though, I'd wait until a few news cycles before calling it as bs. Trump has a way of turning nothing burgers into bacon double cheese burgers.

mcmoustache

DaniilKharms wrote: »

We'll see in 5 days what the story is.

God knows this one is bound to change.

I'm starting to sense a pattern. Partial story, denial, debunk denial with more story, repeat... burgers everywhere.

LeinsterDub

mcmoustache wrote: »

I'd be inclined to reserve judgement on this. If it was just two people talking at dinner, then this would be overblown.

If there was any attempt to hide it, though, I'd wait until a few news cycles before calling it as bs. Trump has a way of turning nothing burgers into bacon double cheese burgers.

Completely agree. As I said as it stands it seems overblown but knowing Trump...

aloyisious

Lol-ing now at the latest on Fox. Reportedly Russia has demanded the immediate return of it's properties taken under Pres Obama sanctions or it will take [unspecified] action against the US.

I'm wondering how Don will react to this or if it's a two-step dance planned by Vlad for himself and Don to distract attention and have the GOP foot-soldiers rally round Don.

aloyisious

NY Times report on the secondary hour-long meeting at dinner for G20 leaders in Hamburg.....

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwij9tivgZTVAhXJDMAKHcHPDYMQqUMIMDAF&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F07%2F18%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Ftrump-putin-undisclosed-meeting.html&usg=AFQjCNEXnZzwXwkdr2EYJ6GXCPdNsNC2dw

captbarnacles

Billy86 wrote: »

Joffrey came back and he's pregnant with Jon Snow's baby.

Anyway apologies for veering off topic despite the "watch the world burn" similarities... back on topic, Mueller has said Junior and Manafort can testify publicly - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN1A31VZ .

If Donald can be made testify under oath about anything it is the end for him. He cannot stop lying. Check out his previous performances.

God knows how junior will do but most likely he incriminate everyone on the WH team.

DaniilKharms

aloyisious wrote: »

NY Times report on the secondary hour-long meeting at dinner for G20 leaders in Hamburg.....

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwij9tivgZTVAhXJDMAKHcHPDYMQqUMIMDAF&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2017%2F07%2F18%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Ftrump-putin-undisclosed-meeting.html&usg=AFQjCNEXnZzwXwkdr2EYJ6GXCPdNsNC2dw

Jesus... that's pretty awful... and of course it'll be fuel for the media fire while Americans are wondering if their healthcare system is, as the President has said on countless occasions, about to implode.

aloyisious

DaniilKharms wrote: »

Jesus... that's pretty awful... and of course it'll be fuel for the media fire while Americans are wondering if their healthcare system is, as the President has said on countless occasions, about to implode.

This part of the report [last section] is almost the best part..... In a statement, a White House official on Tuesday described the meeting as routine and brief, and explained the lack of an American translator by noting that the president was accompanied by a Japanese interpreter who did not speak Russian. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that any insinuation that the White House has tried to hide the encounter was false.

A second White House official confirmed that the meeting had occurred but did not offer any details, and insisted on anonymity because the discussion was private.

jimmycrackcorm

The Donald, Putin and a Russian interpreter only in a meeting.

I think the topic of conversation was a certain pee pee tape.

I'm also amused at Trump saying that repealing ACA means the democrats have to agree a replacement. Surely they're smiling at each other saying no its a republican problem to fix.....

InTheTrees

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I'm also amused at Trump saying that repealing ACA means the democrats have to agree a replacement. Surely they're smiling at each other saying no its a republican problem to fix.....

He really is a idiot.

I was listening to some talking head on the TV who was describing trump's lack of understanding and commitment to the bill. He did next to nothing to promote it beyond some garbled sound bites, he still doesn't appear to understand what Obamacare is or what replacing it means. Last night, the night before the Last Chance Vote on his only major legislation so far and he had five senators to dinner and none of them were the potential No voters who sunk the bill the next day.

JMNolan

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

The Donald, Putin and a Russian interpreter only in a meeting. .

That's not true though?

From The Guardian

"Bremmer said there was a dinner that evening for the G20 heads of state and their spouses"

Peregrinus

JMNolan wrote: »

That's not true though?

From The Guardian

"Bremmer said there was a dinner that evening for the G20 heads of state and their spouses"

The dinner was a separate event from the Putin/Trump meeting.

Leroy42

So what is the story here? On one hand we have Trump tweets saying there was dinner with heads of state, so nothing unusual there

On the other we have WH sources apparently saying that a one hour meeting involving Putin, Trump and a Russian interpreter was held. Was this at the place the dinner took place?

Was this during the dinner?

The one thing I will say is given the track record of the media with these stories I would believe that there is something to them.

Story is leaked, story is flatly denied and mocked
Additional details emerge, details are denied (so no longer denial of the story)
corroboration of the story from an external source and WH claims that the whole thing is a witch hunt and nothing was illegal anyway.

Edit : Even if true, the story itself is not anything to get excited about. But as usual, it is the cover up, or at least the failure to disclose, that causes the problem. If they held a meeting about greater cooperation etc then great, not like the method but hardly blame someone for trying. But as we see in all these cases with Trump, there always seems to be an attempt to hide it.

He made such a show about how great the G20 was, how he had put US agenda across etc, seems very strange to leave this meeting out. Surely he got something from this meeting, even if all that was was to set up future meetings, so why not tell that story as well?

ThisRegard

By most accounts the meeting was separate to the dinner?

Leroy42

Just on a separate point, as it is one that I have banged on before about, I think the press corp did a pretty good job of holding Sarah Huckerbee and by extension POTUS, to account over the failure of the RnR of ACA.

She started the press conference with the usual 'its all the democrats fault' nonsense and they didn't let her away with it.

They read out a few Trump statements about leadership, how fast RnR would be etc to ask why POTUS is trying to shift the blame.

Calina

In one way the story is worth getting very annoyed about. The only interpreter present was a Kremlin paid interpreter - this detail has not been denied.

In bilateral, diplomatic terms this is unusual to say the least. Each side usually brings their own interpreter. Interpreters have been present at meetings where there were no other staff present historically. Their job is twofold. To ensure you understand what is being said to you and also that the otherside is interpreting you accurately.

Trump did not have his own interpreter in that discussion. This is not necessarily in the interests of the US whatever about it being in Trump's interests. If I were a multimillionaire doing a trade deal I wouldn't be relying on the other side for all the language services. Either I speak the lingo myself or I have a rep who can.

You could argue that Trump is inexperienced but this is basic stuff and in any case the State Department shoukd be explaining it to him. But apparently he had a Japanese interpreter with him but no Russian Either that was deliberate or it was incompetent. Neither is good.

Peregrinus

ThisRegard wrote: »

By most accounts the meeting was separate to the dinner?

According to the Financial Times report of the meeting:

"both men[Trump and Putin] pulled away [from the dinner] for talks attended only by Mr Putin’s interpreter".

So the meeting happened at the time of the dinner, during a period when the leaders were socialising with one another. Trump and Putin withdrew from the general socialising and talked privately for an hour, with Putin's interpeter but no-one else.

Reports are not specific, but as far as I can make out it is not suggested that they left the banqueting venue. They just found themselves a corner where they could talk privately.

Peregrinus

Calina wrote: »

You could argue that Trump is inexperienced but this is basic stuff and in any case the State Department shoukd be explaining it to him. But apparently he had a Japanese interpreter with him but no Russian Either that was deliberate or it was incompetent. Neither is good.

Each of the G20 leaders was permitted to bring one interpreter to the dinner. Trump brought a Japanese interpreter since he was sitting next to the Japanese Prime Minister's wife.

Blowfish

Peregrinus wrote: »

According to the Financial Times report of the meeting:

"both men[Trump and Putin] pulled away [from the dinner] for talks attended only by Mr Putin’s interpreter".

So the meeting happened at the time of the dinner, during a period when the leaders were socialising with one another. Trump and Putin withdrew from the general socialising and talked privately for an hour, with Putin's interpeter but no-one else.

Reports are not specific, but as far as I can make out it is not suggested that they left the banqueting venue. They just found themselves a corner where they could talk privately.

No suprise that it seemed to have generated a general 'WTF?' from the rest of the G20, brazenly singling out Putin for special attention given everything that's going on was incredibly dumb on an international diplomacy level.

LeinsterDub

Last night CNN were just showing footage of talking at the table.

The issue here seems to be the meeting was unreported. Does anyone know what the law states about this? What constitutes a meeting for the purpose of the law?

Quin_Dub

The account seems to be that Putin & Trump had a separate sidebar discussion in the room where the dinner took place , for the better part of an hour.

The second conversation between Trump and Putin took place during a dinner for the Group of 20 heads of state and their spouses in Hamburg, said Ian Bremmer, the president of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, who was first to report the meeting in a note to clients.

Television coverage of the dinner showed that first lady Melania Trump was seated next to Putin.

Bremmer said Trump got up from his seat halfway through dinner and spent about an hour talking "privately and animatedly" with Putin, "joined only by Putin's own translator."

The lack of a translator seems to be covered by the fact that each Head of state was allowed only 1 translator in the room and as Trump was seated with Shinzo Abe and his wife , they brought a Japanese translator. There were also no "staffers" in the room just Leaders, their Spouse and the translator.

They could have been talking about Ice hockey or they could have been talking about Sanctions and hacking..

We will likely never know as there is no transcript.

Spending an hour with 1 leader out of the 19 others in the room over the course of what I guess might have been a 3-4 hour event , seems highly unusual.

That it was Putin is just meat and drink to the Media..If he'd spent an hour shooting the breeze with Merkel or whoever , it probably wouldn't have registered.

aloyisious

ThisRegard wrote: »

By most accounts the meeting was separate to the dinner?

Yes, reading these NYT and W/P stories, the meeting was held within the Hamburg Concert Hall where the G20 leaders were having their dinner. It's definitely not a nothingburger story.....

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j...J6GXCPdNsNC2dw

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-had-undisclosed-hour-long-meeting-with-putin-at-g20-summit/2017/07/18/39c18dd4-6bd0-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html

Peregrinus

What law? I don't think the US has a law requiring that the President's "meetings" be "reported". It's a convention that the White House Press Office provides information on the President's schedule, travels, activities, etc. The issue here would not be that it was illegal not to mention this particular meeting; the issue would be that a mention of the meeting would be expected, and the fact that it wasn't mentioned would suggest a desire to conceal it or not to have to account for it, and why would that be?

Much of the strife Trump is in over his supposed Russia connections comes from the way that he and his administration persistently treat those connections. They deny them, they minimise them, they offer accounts of them that turn to be inaccurate or incomplete or both. And this happens again, and again, and again. Every f@cking time. The failure to mention this meeting until disclosed by someone else looks like part of a that pattern, which is why it attracts such notice.

It's hard to avoid the conclusion either that they have a seriously improper relationship with Russia, or that they are for some reasons desperate to convince the world that they do. And the latter doesn't seem very plausible.

aloyisious

Quin_Dub wrote: »

The account seems to be that Putin & Trump had a separate sidebar discussion in the room where the dinner took place , for the better part of an hour.



The lack of a translator seems to be covered by the fact that each Head of state was allowed only 1 translator in the room and as Trump was seated with Shinzo Abe and his wife , they brought a Japanese translator. There were also no "staffers" in the room just Leaders, their Spouse and the translator.

They could have been talking about Ice hockey or they could have been talking about Sanctions and hacking..

We will likely never know as there is no transcript.

Spending an hour with 1 leader out of the 19 others in the room over the course of what I guess might have been a 3-4 hour event , seems highly unusual.

That it was Putin is just meat and drink to the Media..If he'd spent an hour shooting the breeze with Merkel or whoever , it probably wouldn't have registered.

If that's the actual bones of the chat circumstances, the chance is that the talk was probably nothing more than what was discussed at the actual G20 leaders full talks as the interpreter was neither Russian or US and NOT under any oath of loyalty to either of those nations, but to a third country. Not exactly how to have a secure chat.

The Washington Post version of the story has it confirmed by a senior administration official.

Calina

Peregrinus wrote: »

Calina wrote: »

You could argue that Trump is inexperienced but this is basic stuff and in any case the State Department shoukd be explaining it to him. But apparently he had a Japanese interpreter with him but no Russian Either that was deliberate or it was incompetent. Neither is good.

Each of the G20 leaders was permitted to bring one interpreter to the dinner. Trump brought a Japanese interpreter since he was sitting next to the Japanese Prime Minister's wife.

Then he doesn't have the personal meeting with Russia. This is basic stuff. And it adds fuel to his Russia fire that he did.

LeinsterDub

Peregrinus wrote: »

What law? I don't think the US has a law requiring that the President's "meetings" be "reported". It's a convention that the White House Press Office provides information on the President's schedule, travels, activities, etc. The issue here would not be that it was illegal not to mention this particular meeting; the issue would be that a mention of the meeting would be expected, and the fact that it wasn't mentioned would suggest a desire to conceal it or not to have to account for it, and why would that be?

OK thanks . I only got about 15 minutes of coverage last night . I had assumed there was a law of some kind .

Leroy42

aloyisious wrote: »

If that's the actual bones of the chat circumstances, the chance is that the talk was probably nothing more than what was discussed at the actual G20 leaders full talks as the interpreter was neither Russian or US and NOT under any oath of loyalty to either of those nations, but to a third country. Not exactly how to have a secure chat.

I thought Putin had his interpreter with him, just that Trump did not as his interpreter was for Japanese and didn't speak Russian

Peregrinus

At a social meet-and-greet with 20 world leaders and their spouses, he shouldn't spend an hour closeted with Putin; it's as simple as that. It wouldn't really improve matters if he had had a State Department interpreter by his side.