Merged All things Trump + Russia

[Arcade22]

News of the meeting involving the younger Mr. Trump, Mr. Kushner and Mr. Manafort blunted whatever good feeling the president’s team had after his trip to Europe for the Group of 20 economic summit meeting.

The president learned from his aides about the 2016 meeting at the end of the trip, according to a White House official. But some people in the White House had known for several days that it had occurred, because Mr. Kushner had revised his foreign contact disclosure document to include it.

The president was frustrated by the news of the meeting, according to a person close to him — less over the fact that it had happened, and more because it was yet another story about Russia that had swamped the news cycle.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-russia-email-candidacy.html

Drip. Drip. Drip.

If this is his reaction to this meeting becoming public i wouldn't be surprised if even more damaging meetings were had. I mean this isn't just "another story" but rather its concrete proof that the Trump campaign was in contact with Russian officials (if you think they are just a "private citizen acting on their own accord" you are dumb) seeking dirt on Clinton.

 

[llwyd]

The structural problem of current US politics is that about 40% of the voters are beyond empirism sheltered by intensely propagandising, radical right wing media bubble. So, things like Russia collusion don't have the kind of gigantic impact that they would have earlier had as ca 40% of the people are convinced that it either never happened or that if it did happen, it doesn't matter (and this often simultaneously).

Sure there is incompetence, bad laws, smoking guns that are likely to lower that figure at least temporarily but I haven't seen any proof that the basic situation is going anywhere. So, if for example there is a dramatic terror attack on American soil that is attributed to Islamist radicals that 40% can just as well temporarily rise well over 50%. The margin is way too narrow for comfort.

 

[trustbutverify]

Obviously a Mccarthyite witchhunt:

WASHINGTON — Before arranging a meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer he believed would offer him compromising information about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Jr. was informed in an email that the material was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father’s candidacy, according to three people with knowledge of the email.

Just because the highest levels of the Trump campaign met with a Kremlin insider to obtain stolen information damaging to his opponent in an effort to aid his campaign doesn't mean there was any collusion or anything.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Lots of Crocus Group connections in the "Likes" on the check-ins as well. One of them is a Russian money launderer. But Trump had no Russian dealings.

ETA: More history.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

When this house of cards falls, it will be interesting to watch the video clips of all the rats that didn't jump ship in time to save their asses.

 

[The Don]

When this house of cards falls, it will be interesting to watch the video clips of all the rats that didn't jump ship in time to save their asses.

I'd love to see it but I honestly don't think it will happen.

Trump and his cronies will never be sufficiently damaging to the GOP for them to sanction a proper investigation and without GOP support, any investigation can be written off as a "partisan witch hunt" and the results ignored

 

[zorro99]

Put jr under oath for questioning.?The Trumps owe the American people an explanation.

 

[The Don]

Put jr under oath for questioning.?The Trumps owe the American people an explanation.

Is there any reason to assume that being under oath would make it any more likely that he'll tell the truth given that the AG has already perjured himself without negative consequences ?

 

[JihadJane]

'The Stink Without a Secret' by Craig Murray

"After six solid months of co-ordinated allegation from the mainstream media allied to the leadership of state security institutions, not one single scrap of solid evidence for Trump/Russia election hacking has emerged."

 

[Belz...]

Just because the highest levels of the Trump campaign met with a Kremlin insider to obtain stolen information damaging to his opponent in an effort to aid his campaign doesn't mean there was any collusion or anything.

I do love the way you put it.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

So the current obstacle to indictment is that the Russians were too ethical?

 

[TofuFighter]

'The Stink Without a Secret' by Craig Murray

"After six solid months of co-ordinated allegation from the mainstream media allied to the leadership of state security institutions, not one single scrap of solid evidence for Trump/Russia election hacking has emerged."

Is that the same Craig Murray who claims to know who leaked the DNC mail information (definitely it wasn't the russians), having been given hard proof of it by the very same disgruntled DNC employee in the woods?

You'd think he might be able to provide more than just allusion or his own reassurances.

 

[Stacko]

Nothingburger dying down as expected.

NSFW - rule ten breach

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1331&pictureid=11307

 

[ponderingturtle]

Putin knew he meddled in the 2016 US presidential election and was trying to trick Trump into revealing US intelligence gathering techniques. It's an old Russian trick.

Doesn't he know you just have to ask trump he will happily tell the russians all our secrets.

 

[varwoche]

'The Stink Without a Secret' by Craig Murray

"After six solid months of co-ordinated allegation from the mainstream media allied to the leadership of state security institutions, not one single scrap of solid evidence for Trump/Russia election hacking has emerged."

A link would be useful, helping readers keep track of garbage data sources.

 

[The Don]

A link would be useful, helping readers keep track of garbage data sources.

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/07/stink-without-secret/

There you go !

 

[Belz...]

A link would be useful, helping readers keep track of garbage data sources.

Notice how he adds "solid" to "evidence" so that he can ignore the treasure trove of non-conclusive and circumstantial evidence that has everybody on the planet's heads spin.

 

[Arcade22]

The June 3, 2016, email sent to Donald Trump Jr. could hardly have been more explicit: One of his father’s former Russian business partners had been contacted by a senior Russian government official and was offering to provide the Trump campaign with dirt on Hillary Clinton.

The documents “would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father,” read the email, written by a trusted intermediary, who added, “This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

If the future president’s elder son was surprised or disturbed by the provenance of the promised material — or the notion that it was part of an ongoing effort by the Russian government to aid his father’s campaign — he gave no indication.

He replied within minutes: “If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.”

Four days later, after a flurry of emails, the intermediary wrote back, proposing a meeting in New York on Thursday with a “Russian government attorney.”

Oh boy!

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/trump-russia-email-clinton.html

 

[uke2se]

Oh boy!

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/trump-russia-email-clinton.html

If it sticks, that's it. That's the smoking gun.

 

[Childlike Empress]

Here's an interview with the lawyer, for people who aren't "clever" enough to know that every Russian is a government offical, Kremlin aide and Putin troll.

Mmmmmh, nothing burgers, go get em.