Donald Trump Presidency discussion thread III

listermint

trellheim wrote: »

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/973540316656623616

WTF !!!! The day after Tillerson calls out Russia for nerve agent attacks

All those card holding republican yeehaws are hilarious for backing this president.

This novel writes itself

aloyisious

So the [former] head of the CIA is now Sec of State. With him having the inside track on Int from a source put down by Don, does Don actually know what he's done by putting MP there? Probably a silly question to ask, but I mean it in a realistic, not Don-slapping, way. Is MP a person with a reputation of independence speaking his mind?

Will what's in effect a firing have any backlash from Republicans, has Rex been getting a bashing from them lately, or will they be muttering "who's next"?

Cue the White House press briefing. RTE saying Don asked Rex to resign last Friday and that's why Rex flew home then. Rex was supposedly sick last week, taking a break from his visits to countries in Africa. He may have deliberately accused Russia of being behind the poisoning in the UK to give Don a [F/U] parting slap in public.

Edit..... https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/2017-press-releases-statements/gina-haspel-selected-to-be-deputy-director-of-cia.html

Gina is a CIA insider promoted by Don when MP was Dir CIA.

Hurrache

trellheim wrote: »

WTF !!!! The day after Tillerson calls out Russia for nerve agent attacks

It was noted that at yesterday's press conference Sanders never mentioned Russia once when talking about the nerve agent attack in England.

banie01

jooksavage wrote: »

Interesting to see if Trump agrees with his Secretary of State on the Salisbury poisoning/QUOTE]

Dont have to agree if he sacks him

VinLieger

Meanwhile in russia putin is popping champagne corks

kilns

I am surprised it took such a long time to be honest it was obvious Tillerson had little or no respect for Trump and the fact he didnt even deny calling him a moron showed it.  Trump obviously hated him from that moment on and obviously didnt include him in any breifings, to not include your sec of state in the North Korean news was just plain crazy

Christy42

kilns wrote: »

I am surprised it took such a long time to be honest it was obvious Tillerson had little or no respect for Trump and the fact he didnt even deny calling him a moron showed it.  Trump obviously hated him from that moment on and obviously didnt include him in any breifings, to not include your sec of state in the North Korean news was just plain crazy

And to think I thought Trump admired those who call it like they see it. I am shocked by this shocked.

Are we still pretending that Trump's whitehouse is not in chaos? I mean he was meant to hire the best people and he fairly obviously has failed given how many people he had to get rid of.

demfad

trellheim wrote: »

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/973540316656623616

WTF !!!! The day after Tillerson calls out Russia for nerve agent attacks

The first day that Trump could NOT condemn Russia for an attack on the Americans biggest ally the UK. Sacking Tillerson was in the pipeline but it was not palnned yesterday. I would be of the opinion that Tillerson knew he was going to be sacked and created this issue for Trump as a parting salvo.

Trump reserves these stories for desperate times when distractions are needed.
The problem IMO was Trump not being able to condemn Russia.

everlast75

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/politics/john-mcentee-white-house-security-clearance/index.html

His close aid fired and escorted out of the White House on Monday.

Christy42 wrote: »

Are we still pretending that Trump's whitehouse is not in chaos?.

Professor Moriarty

The way things are going, I'm expecting a call from The Donald any day now.

aloyisious

I'll wait and see how Sky News view's and report's Don's failure to respect the special relationship with Britain in preference to Russia. Somehow I can't see any wedding invite being issued now, whatever chance there had still being of one. Wonder what Don will do when MI supply CIA with forensic proof that the weapon used was of Russian make and origin and CIA present it to him as evidence of Russian collusion in the attempted murders.

Just struk me how this bodes for Don's NSA, given last week's rumours of his imminent departure.

W/P reporting the story as Don putting Rex out of his misery AND that Don also fired his P/A John McEntee, who has promptly rejoined his election campaign. Because of the last few words mentioning campaign, I'm uncertain of when the firing took place, the report by David Nakamura is timed as 30 minutes old.

The list of Don's ex-admirers must be growing apace

Leroy42

Tillerson spokesperson has told journalists that Rex found out he was fired on Twitter and had not spoken to the president, and that he had every intention of staying.

Skedaddle

This is the kind of thing that could yet lead to a very nasty nuclear incident. Trump is removing all the sane voices.

Tillerson actually seemed like a relatively safe pair of hands and was actually behaving like a potentially decent US diplomat.

We now get undiluted Trump foreign policy.

This iodine tablets may yet be required.

pixelburp

Leroy42 wrote: »

Tillerson spokesperson has told journalists that Rex found out he was fired on Twitter and had not spoken to the president, and that he had every intention of staying.

Well I was passingly interested to know how Huckabee Sanders would spin this latest firing-not-firing, but after reading that I'm REALLLLLY CURIOUS...

How on earth even the Trump die-hard MAGA types can rationalise this kind of rotating door White House I don't know.

Weren't they supposed to be draining the swamp, or is that catchphrase now quietly retired in case it makes folks too uncomfortable?

VinLieger

Makes this story from last year very relevant, lets see what comes of this https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tillerson-mattis-mnuchin-forge-suicide-pact-in-the-event-trump-wants-one-of-them-gone-report/article/2636550

Skedaddle

Oh don't worry, she'll just spin and spin. She's well used to defending the indefensible at this stage.

I don't even know why anyone pays any attention to those kinds of briefings.

Manic Moran

Leroy42 wrote: »

Tillerson spokesperson has told journalists that Rex found out he was fired on Twitter and had not spoken to the president, and that he had every intention of staying.

Doesn't surprise me. Same vein as he treated Comey.

Pompeo seems to be much more a Republican politician than a professional civil servant. On the plus side, he's certainly not stupid. Graduated West Point as a cavalryman, then went on to Harvard for his JD, worked as a lawyer for about 15 years. Been a politician for about ten, and then the current very brief stint in the CIA. I can't say I've heard much about his CIA tenure. Probably a good thing.

The woman taking over the CIA position has been with the Agency for over 30 years. Presumably knows her way about.

Headshot

You know its funny Tillerson was really only the person who Trump brought into his administration that was some what competent and came across well

Imagine finding out your fired by twitter, Trump is such a piece of work

Blowfish

Manic Moran wrote: »

The woman taking over the CIA position has been with the Agency for over 30 years. Presumably knows her way about.

She oversaw one of the 'black sites' where the CIA were torturing people, then later ordered the destruction of the video surveillance of what went on during it, so she knows her way around alright....

everlast75

Leroy42 wrote: »

Tillerson spokesperson has told journalists that Rex found out he was fired on Twitter

Manic Moran wrote: »

Doesn't surprise me. Same vein as he treated Comey.

And Reince Priebus..

https://www.vox.com/2017/7/28/16060352/reince-priebus-motorcade-air-force-one-departure

Professor Moriarty

He might give Stormy Daniels a job. Better inside the tent...

Hurrache

Trump's personal aide was also fired Monday because of a 'security issue'...only to be immediately rehired by Trump 2020

The Wall Street Journal reports John McEntee was escorted out of the White House on Monday for an unspecified security issue. Following the news, the Trump campaign announced McEntee will serve as "senior advisor for campaign operations.

https://twitter.com/juddzeez/status/973546440285982721

everlast75

Professor Moriarty wrote: »

He might give Stormy Daniels a job. Better inside the tent...

I think there's proof to say she gave him a 'job'

demfad

Headshot wrote: »

You know its funny Tillerson was really only the person who Trump brought into his administration that was some what competent and came across well

Imagine finding out your fired by twitter, Trump is such a piece of work

Tillerson oversaw the gutting of the State department budget by 40%. The majority of experienced managerial staff left the department under Tillerson and were not replaced. Ambassadorial staff in key countries were not replaced meaning the likes of Jared Kushner was the go to man in the middle east.

US soft power was decimated under Tillerson who must go down as one of teh worse SOS ever. His occasional flights of integrity: calling Trump a moron, calling out Russia were more noticiable than the 99% of dross, because they made more news.

Skedaddle

Well, this is the Trump administration we're taking about. Tillerson in comparison to most of that administration was a sensible, sane, pragmatist. I stress: in comparison.

At the moment Trump's administration is making Nixon's era look like a relatively lovely time in US politics.

This stuff is absolutely off the scale. I don't think you can really be surprised at anything anymore and the speed and intensity of the crazy will get even more frenetic as it's fairly clear he is over the figuring the system out phase and now has become comfortable in the oval office, knowing who to call and where all the levers of power are.

kilns

Tillerson was no mug he ran a huge company very successfully so knew what he was doing, unlike Trump he earned his position and respect.
In the state dept its a question of how much his hands were tied by Trump and how much he could actually do
I can imagine once Trump leaves office there will be a flurry of tell all books which will give an insight into life with a madman in charge

demfad

Skedaddle wrote: »

Well, this is the Trump administration we're taking about. Tillerson in comparison to most of that administration was a sensible, sane, pragmatist. I stress: in comparison.

At the moment Trump's administration is making Nixon's era look like a relatively lovely time in US politics.

This stuff is absolutely off the scale. I don't think you can really be surprised at anything anymore and the speed and intensity of the crazy will get even more frenetic as it's fairly clear he is over the figuring the system out phase and now has become comfortable in the oval office, knowing who to call and where all the levers of power are.

kilns wrote: »

Tillerson was no mug he ran a huge company very successfully so knew what he was doing, unlike Trump he earned his position and respect.
In the state dept its a question of how much his hands were tied by Trump and how much he could actually do
I can imagine once Trump leaves office there will be a flurry of tell all books which will give an insight into life with a madman in charge

I don't agree. If you oversee the destruction of the State dept and US soft power while in charge of it the buck stops with you. CEOs are wholly unsuitable for this role IMO. It is a dept needing delegation of authority not authoritanarianism. Even If Tillerson could not do his job because of Trump he should have resigned. Trump propsed a 40% cut to his depatrment. Tillerson did not even object. No excuse for that.

Gbear

demfad wrote: »

Tillerson oversaw the gutting of the State department budget by 40%. The majority of experienced managerial staff left the department under Tillerson and were not replaced. Ambassadorial staff in key countries were not replaced meaning the likes of Jared Kushner was the go to man in the middle east.

US soft power was decimated under Tillerson who must go down as one of teh worse SOS ever. His occasional flights of integrity: calling Trump a moron, calling out Russia were more noticiable than the 99% of dross, because they made more news.

He was trying to essentially dismantle the state apparatus from within.

I guess it's a valid choice if that's what everyone voted for (problems with the presidential voting system notwithstanding).

It's not like it happened by accident, though.

demfad

Gbear wrote: »

He was trying to essentially dismantle the state apparatus from within.

I guess it's a valid choice if that's what everyone voted for (problems with the presidential voting system notwithstanding).

It's not like it happened by accident, though.

The clearest act of pro-Russian sabotage was this dismantling. It was literally Russian foreign policy. Tillerson was clearly put in this role because of his friendly relations with Russia. He has no other qualifications for it. Maybe he was this naive....

There was a report a good way back about a 3 way musketeer pack between Tillerson, Mattis, and Kelly I think. If one goes...

pixelburp

Gbear wrote: »

He was trying to essentially dismantle the state apparatus from within.

I guess it's a valid choice if that's what everyone voted for (problems with the presidential voting system notwithstanding).

It's not like it happened by accident, though.

That's the weird thing: I'm surprised more journalists critical of the administration haven't leapt on the chance to highlight how, despite talking about MAGA and 'America First', Trump & pals are actively trying to demolish the very structures that enable America's 'soft power' across the world in the first place.

I get Americans are pretty insular at the best of times, but surely even the biggest hawks can appreciate that to be a big player in the world, you need a strong network of diplomats, spies etc. to ensure the US benefits in all things.