The Trump Presidency: Sweet/Sweat 16

[Cabbage]

But it was about something non classified becoming classified.

What are you referring to? I don't recall that coming up here. I thought all this originated with Trump's tweet:

Trump Tweets

“To declassify is so important because if this were a Democrat President or a Democrat Candidate, that was spied on the way President Trump was spied on, this would be a scandal that would make Watergate look like nothing. Illegal spying.....

.....on the President of the United States.” @charliekirk11 @trish_regan

...which I thought was referring to declassifying FISA warrants and other such things that led to the Trump-Russia investigation.

Just because the info is publicly available does not mean it is not also classified. Things just don't make that much sense.

To be honest, I'm not sure how the law is written; there may be some process or ritual necessary to officially declassify something. However, it seems to me that when a president (who has the power to declassify) publicly releases classified information, then it has become declassified, de facto, at least, if not de jure.

 

[kookbreaker]

Would those be the streets I spend several hours a week walking around? Or just the no-go areas (many of which I also spend significant amounts of time in)?

I’m sure some of our US based right-wingers will be along shortly to altrightsplain to you that London streets are actually super-dangerous.

 

[Horatius]

To be honest, I'm not sure how the law is written; there may be some process or ritual necessary to officially declassify something. However, it seems to me that when a president (who has the power to declassify) publicly releases classified information, then it has become declassified, de facto, at least, if not de jure.

And this is part of the problem with Trump's "I AM The LAW!" approach: we don't actually know if it's been legally declassified or not. It's entirely possible that everyone who re-tweeted that photo or used it in a news story could be guilty of publishing classified material, even if no one in their right mind would ever try to prosecute under these conditions.

You can't obey the law when there's literally no way for you to know what the law is from one day to the next.

 

[gregthehammer]

Trump Tweets

The truth is that we have a nation that is disgusted with the FBI. We have a crisis of confidence in the number one law enforcement agency in this country (thanks Comey!).
@LouDobbs “It’s a scandal.” @AlanDersh

“I am so tired of hearing the rationalization of the Left in the country because they hate Donald Trump. Inexplicably and without foundation, they choose to hate America. The Democrats have truly become the party of hate.” @LouDobbs

**** Lou Dobbs. I am an American who is not particularly disgusted with the FBI. is he citing any polls? Or just projecting his own doucheness?

as for the second paragraph, no, I don't hat America, just Trump. Hatred of Trump is NOT equal to hatred of America.

 

[ponderingturtle]

And this is part of the problem with Trump's "I AM The LAW!" approach: we don't actually know if it's been legally declassified or not. It's entirely possible that everyone who re-tweeted that photo or used it in a news story could be guilty of publishing classified material, even if no one in their right mind would ever try to prosecute under these conditions.

You can't obey the law when there's literally no way for you to know what the law is from one day to the next.

No they couldn't be, receiving classified material is not a crime, it is being the government official who sent it. Why the reporters were never in any danger of being charged in the Valerie Plame scandal for example. So as long as you get it from Trumps tweet it is legal to send it on. A different government official putting some other version of the photo out would be the one in trouble.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

“U.S. Winning Trade War With China In Dollars.” CNBC

“The Chinese are very adept at not accepting anything. You’ve got to be very tough, and that’s what Trump is doing. It’s in China’s interest to correct, and I think we’ll end up with a solution that’s dramatically better than we have today. Frankly, I think the impact of what...

....Trump is doing to China is not lost on the rest of the world. Europe has had among the most protectionist policies forever. They’re sitting there and saying, gee, are we next? Maybe you are! We’ve got to change the rules. The U.S. can’t defend the world and pay for it....

....We can’t have a system where we run our entire economy for the benefit of other countries, which have long charged us big tariffs. Don’t keep ducking the reality. The U.S. has been subject to Tariff Terrorism for 50 years. But a real deal can be done.” Sam Zell
@JoeSquawk

 

[plague311]

Trump Tweets

“U.S. Winning Trade War With China In Dollars.” CNBC

“The Chinese are very adept at not accepting anything. You’ve got to be very tough, and that’s what Trump is doing. It’s in China’s interest to correct, and I think we’ll end up with a solution that’s dramatically better than we have today. Frankly, I think the impact of what...

....Trump is doing to China is not lost on the rest of the world. Europe has had among the most protectionist policies forever. They’re sitting there and saying, gee, are we next? Maybe you are! We’ve got to change the rules. The U.S. can’t defend the world and pay for it....

....We can’t have a system where we run our entire economy for the benefit of other countries, which have long charged us big tariffs. Don’t keep ducking the reality. The U.S. has been subject to Tariff Terrorism for 50 years. But a real deal can be done.” Sam Zell
@JoeSquawk

Funny how fast places change from Fake News to reliable sources depending on what they say...

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

What are you referring to? I don't recall that coming up here. I thought all this originated with Trump's tweet:

...which I thought was referring to declassifying FISA warrants and other such things that led to the Trump-Russia investigation.

To be honest, I'm not sure how the law is written; there may be some process or ritual necessary to officially declassify something. However, it seems to me that when a president (who has the power to declassify) publicly releases classified information, then it has become declassified, de facto, at least, if not de jure.

While it could be a reference to declassifying some imaginary evidence the FISA warrants were based on 'the dossier', it could also be a reference tRump is using to try to deflect criticism of his ignorant release of that Iran explosion image.

Clearly he had no clue the reason it was classified was to hide what US spy satellites were capable of. Probably no one in the briefing thought it was necessary to explain to tRump why the image was classified.

So he ignorantly Tweeted it, people were outraged, his immediate response was he was legally allowed. It could be that now he's trying make it sound like he knew what he was doing.



On another note: not only is tRump a poor golfer, that is after he golfs all the time. You'd think with all that practice ....

 

[Segnosaur]

Trump Tweets
....Trump is doing to China is not lost on the rest of the world. Europe has had among the most protectionist policies forever. They’re sitting there and saying, gee, are we next? Maybe you are! We’ve got to change the rules. The U.S. can’t defend the world and pay for it....

....We can’t have a system where we run our entire economy for the benefit of other countries, which have long charged us big tariffs. Don’t keep ducking the reality. The U.S. has been subject to Tariff Terrorism for 50 years. But a real deal can be done.” Sam Zell
@JoeSquawk

Hmm... I wonder why Sam Zell is someone who's opinion Trump cares about....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Zell#Critics_and_controversies
In 2010, The New York Times ran a highly damaging article about Zell's and new top executive Randy Michael's management of The Tribune Co. entitled "At Flagging Tribune, Tales of a Bankrupt Culture." The report details a culture promoting sexual harassment and debasement...

Ah I get it. Sounds like Trump's kind of guy.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

**** Lou Dobbs. I am an American who is not particularly disgusted with the FBI. is he citing any polls? Or just projecting his own doucheness?

as for the second paragraph, no, I don't hat America, just Trump. Hatred of Trump is NOT equal to hatred of America.

Maybe Dobbs is vying to be appointed Communications Director or whatever Sarah Suckabee's job title was. He sees Kudlow out there and likes what he sees.

 

[Armitage72]

as for the second paragraph, no, I don't hate America, just Trump. Hatred of Trump is NOT equal to hatred of America.

"L'etat, c'est moi" keeps getting quoted whenever a situation like this comes up. To Trump, there doesn't seem to be a difference. He and the country are one and the same as far as he is concerned, and you can't criticize one without criticizing the other. His most ardent supporters seem to be going along with it.

 

[Tolls]

Clearly he had no clue the reason it was classified was to hide what US spy satellites were capable of. Probably no one in the briefing thought it was necessary to explain to tRump why the image was classified.
.

I expect everyone in the briefing was a tad surprised that someone in said briefing had a mobile phone, and was actually taking pictures with it.

That's something of a no-no in these sorts of things.

 

[lomiller]

Trump Tweets

“U.S. Winning Trade War With China In Dollars.” CNBC

"in dollars" because

US exports to China dropped 2.7%
US Imports from China dropped 1.9%
Overall, in spite of small improvements this month (smaller than expected even), the overall US trade deficit continues to trend upwards.

Meanwhile US consumer sentiment suffered it's largest drop in 7 years suggesting the US continues to move towards recession.

 

[Segnosaur]

A bit more news on Trump's wall:

https://www.vox.com/2019/9/4/20848968/trump-border-wall-mexico-military
Pentagon officials on Tuesday said that the Defense Department will take out $3.6 billion from 127 existing military construction projects and reallocate those funds to put up about 175 miles of wall. Half the money will come from projects originally meant for the US and its territories, and the other half from international ones.

It wasn't unexpected (we knew Trump had plans to divert military funds to build the wall from earlier in the year). But now we have an idea of what projects will be impacted. (I think a full list of projects is to be released later today.)

I wonder how much of an impact this might have on the republicans. Not only among active soldiers who might see needed infrastructure delayed, but in various states where projects are delayed (since military construction could provide an economic stimulus in certain areas.)

 

[alfaniner]

"L'etat, c'est moi" keeps getting quoted whenever a situation like this comes up. To Trump, there doesn't seem to be a difference. He and the country are one and the same as far as he is concerned, and you can't criticize one without criticizing the other. His most ardent supporters seem to be going along with it.

I often picture Sylvester Stallone's Judge Dredd -- "I am duh lawr!"

 

[slyjoe]

...snip

On another note: not only is tRump a poor golfer, that is after he golfs all the time. You'd think with all that practice ....

Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent.

 

[jimbob]

Actually, I think it's because he does not want people to see what a lousy golfer he is.
As someone who has been golfing for over 20 years,based on the footage we have of Trump golfing, Trump is a duffer if ever I saw one.

Yes, but I have no doubt at your ability to negotiate stairs, for example. Given Trump's general physical prowess, and increasingly odd gait, he'd probably topple over if he tried raising his golf club.

 

[ferd burfle]

Oddly, I read somewhere a while ago an opinion from someone who I think had played golf with him that he was a pretty good player, but that he cheated routinely anyway even though he didn't have to.

There's a recent book on the subject of Trump and golf; perhaps that's the source of what you heard.

From pulling a fast one on Tiger Woods to exaggerating his handicap, Donald Trump's alleged misdeeds on and around the golf course are the subject of a new book by former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, ''Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.'' Reilly documents dozens of examples of underhanded golf behavior by the president, transgressions talked about by pro golfers and duffers alike.

I believe this author said in an interview I watched that Trump claims a handicap a stroke or two better than Jack Nicklaus.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/new-book-details-donald-trumps-alleged-cheating-golf-course

 

[bruto]

There's a recent book on the subject of Trump and golf; perhaps that's the source of what you heard.




I believe this author said in an interview I watched that Trump claims a handicap a stroke or two better than Jack Nicklaus.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/new-book-details-donald-trumps-alleged-cheating-golf-course

That's likely, or a radio interview on the book. It would be interesting to see if Trump's golf game has deteriorated as much as other things seem to have.

 

[GlennB]

I'm reading that, in order for Trump *not* to be wrong in saying that hurricane Dorian will hit Alabama, someone has taken a marker pen to the official weather map plotting its course and added a little loop into Alabama.

"That belatedly added loop rings Alabama into the path of Dorian. On Sunday Trump claimed, wrongly, that Dorian could hit Alabama.

The National Weather Service, a government agency, quickly responded that Alabama would NOT see any impact from Alabama. Rather than backdown, Trump yet again wrongly claimed Alabama might be effected." link