The Trump/Putin summit predictions thread

[CapelDodger]

Coats learned from a tweet Putin was coming to the White House and he was incredulous. He said something about assessing the security risks of Putin's visit. I'm almost certain he means the security risks posed by Trump himself and his big fat mouth.

Things cannot carry on like this. It's amazing they've carried on this long, but Helsinki matched any worst-case scenario. Expecting anything different in Washington would be evidence of insanity.

Trump has to go. My money's on the 25th Amendment.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Actually, when I look at those I mostly find Russian attempts to establish a back-channel through which they intended to influence Trump.

I think you give Trump too much credit (I don't suppose you hear that very often). I don't think he went into the meeting with any idea of what he was going to talk about, let alone ask for. Putin, in contrast, will have known exactly how to proceed. Stroke Trump ("He says I'm doing a great job in North Korea"), get him ranting about the media and the witch hunt and such deliberate souring of the relationship, from that to some "This is how it should be, two strong leaders face to face, both guys, sorting things out".

Moving on to Browder and McFaul, be sure to flag Browder as the guy who gave $400m to Clinton and McFaul as Obama-era, and mention Geore Soros why not. And so on : press the buttons, collect the prize.

On your first point, pretty sure Kushner and Erik Prince were sent, not summoned. That is of course in the midst of being offered dirt on Clinton so maybe the back channel was just a way to make meetings easier after the first one.

Second point, Trump knew what he was going to say when he kicked everyone out of the room to talk with James Comey.

Not that that means I don't agree, Putin would have been prepared, Trump not. And likely Trump had imaginary things in mind like all he had to do was be friends and the two of them could effect world peace.

I also have no doubt Trump wants to rub elbows with Putin because it makes Trump feel bigger.

 

[Craig4]

If anybody could, my money would be on them. Putin would order one made instinctively. The CIA probably have one as well, but can hardly admit spying on their own President. How Deep State would that look?

You don't have to have one made, you can buy button cams on Amazon. Getting audio and video would be trivially easy.

 

[Craig4]

Coats learned from a tweet Putin was coming to the White House and he was incredulous. He said something about assessing the security risks of Putin's visit. I'm almost certain he means the security risks posed by Trump himself and his big fat mouth.

Please, oh please let Putin address a joint session of Congress. I will be glued to the screen watching retiring or vulnerable Republicans and all the Democrats not show up or walk out. That would make me so happy.

 

[Stacyhs]

Regarding McCain being a moderate Republican, compared to the far right-wing ultra-conservatives like Gohmert, King, and Cruz that control the GOP now, he's practically a Socialist.

The NY Times considers McCain a moderate Republican:

Moderate Republican politicians, like Mr. McCain ...

(https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/upshot/the-surprising-power-of-blue-state-republicans.html)

So far, Flake, Senator Bob Corker, Senator John McCain, and other moderate Republicans in Congress have failed to specifically call for such steps.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-limits-of-the-flake-corker-mccain-rebellion

A new poll from the Pew Center for the People and the Press, shows Sen. John McCain of Arizona with a strong lead over the other Republican presidential hopefuls. Yet some conservative Republicans say McCain's voting record shows him to be too moderate a GOP candidate.

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18664285

There are 23 Republican-held districts that were lost by Trump in 2016. These places are populated by Democrats but also by moderate Republicans. These are the McCain Republicans.

http://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/390449-attacks-on-john-mccain-are-repugnant-midterm-strategy

 

[alfaniner]

The next summit is slated for the fall (autumn). I wonder if he's going to schedule it for "his" big parade on November 10.

 

[Minoosh]

Things cannot carry on like this. It's amazing they've carried on this long, but Helsinki matched any worst-case scenario. Expecting anything different in Washington would be evidence of insanity.

Trump has to go. My money's on the 25th Amendment.

I wonder whether Trump's national security people are going to stop telling him stuff so he can't leak it to Putin. Or even give him misinformation. At this point IMO that is the most patriotic thing to do.

I'm halfway convinced the lights flickered off Tuesday as a demonstration of Russian hacking. I know it sounds bizarre, but almost that exact scenario was used in the recent Bill Clinton-James Patterson book. Which is pretty bad, BTW.

 

[Jim_MDP]

I though Kelly hit a switch accidentally. Heard little about it (just that), seen nothing. Just sayin'.

 

[Minoosh]

I though Kelly hit a switch accidentally. Heard little about it (just that), seen nothing. Just sayin'.

Apparently other people shared my theory - CNN did a lighthearted take on it. It was the first place my mind went and others too!

Kelly is going to have to do better than that. Get Trump stuck in an elevator for 12 hours, maybe.

 

[dudalb]

Things cannot carry on like this. It's amazing they've carried on this long, but Helsinki matched any worst-case scenario. Expecting anything different in Washington would be evidence of insanity.

Trump has to go. My money's on the 25th Amendment.

Sadly my money is on something close to a second civil war.

 

[alfaniner]

 

[The Big Dog]

Leftists fall out of power.

solution: Repeal the Constitution and start a Civil War.

TDS.

 

[dudalb]

Putin may not actually understand the limits of presidential power. Certainly the concept that Trump could order the former ambassador to go to Russia and the former ambassador could tell Trump to go sit in the corner and play hide and go **** yourself is alien to Putin.

Hell, I don't think that Trump understands the limits of presedential power./

 

[aleCcowaN]

Leftists fall out of power.

solution: Repeal the Constitution and start a Civil War.

TDS.

What a crappy strawman!

 

[dudalb]

Only good think is there is a little GOP resisntence to Trump's selling out to Putin. Not a lot, but a little. It's a start.

 

[dudalb]

Leftists fall out of power.

solution: Repeal the Constitution and start a Civil War.

TDS.

Its' not the leftist who are selling the country to Putin......

 

[Minoosh]

A former Obama official:

"Even if you believe the worst about Trump and what he agreed to, it is unlikely that he will be able to articulate to his team what he agreed to."

My thoughts exactly.

 

[The Don]

Things cannot carry on like this.

Why not ?

The only people who are in a position to change the situation are members of his own party. They are far more afraid of losing in a primary and/or earning President Trump's disfavour than they are about losing to a Democrat and "the good of the country" and/or personal principles are waaaaaaaay down the list.

Meanwhile they're happily giving themselves and their donors tax cuts, gutting the ACA, rolling back all kinds of environmental and worker protections and stacking the courts. It's a conservative wet dream

It's amazing they've carried on this long, but Helsinki matched any worst-case scenario. Expecting anything different in Washington would be evidence of insanity.

They don't want change, they've got everything they want, most of their "important" (to their donors) legislative objectives and a side show which pleases the base and provides a distraction to everyone else so they can carry on.

Trump has to go. My money's on the 25th Amendment.

IMO will never happen, Removing him (by whatever means) is orders of magnitude more damaging than keeping him.

 

[The Don]

Only good think is there is a little GOP resisntence to Trump's selling out to Putin. Not a lot, but a little. It's a start.

Where ?

I mean apart from men who aren't seeking reelection. The main body of the GOP has got right behind the "wouldn't" explanation and are now berating everyone who is criticising President Trump for getting in the way of peace.

I'd also like to see which way those who have dared criticise the President vote, should it come down to it. Too often these guys have been warriors off the record and/or before a vote and then meekly voted the party like when push came to shove.

President Trump still has the GOP firmly within his thrall IMO and that's not going to change until (and if) he becomes electoral poison. His popularity with the party faithful means that's not going to happen IMO because he'll continue to enjoy a healthy majority support among those who choose who's running for election - and given how many seats are safe, those are the key decision makers.

 

[Sabrina]

Trump has come out against giving Russian investigators access to the ambassador and other dude. Sanders said it was discussed but not agreed to, but who knows what Trump really said? In the press conference he called Putin's proposed help investigating 12 Russians "an incredible offer," but left out that this would be in exchange for serving up 2 Americans for interrogation.

Trump may have *NO IDEA* what he agreed to.

Maybe Russia Today will tell us.

98-2, Senate against allowing access.

Who were the two who voted yes??